FRANCO CLAIMS VICTORY

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22343, 5 March 1938, Page 17

FRANCO CLAIMS VICTORY

—*— "War is Already Won" SUMMARY OF REBEL ACHIEVEMENT IUTTITID PSBSS 4.SSOCIATIOK—COPTSIOHT.) (Received March 5, 12.15 a.m.) LONDON, March 4. | "The war is already won by the Nationalists. The only problem lies in reaping the fruits of victory," General Franco told a special correspondent of "The Times" at Burgos. He emphasised that the Nationalists now controlled the most important industrial regions of Spain. General Franco quoted * Don Prieto, the Republican Minister, as saying: "If we lost Bilbao we have lost the war." These words, said General Franco, corresponded exactly with the present situation. The continuation of the war was caused- by the crazy ambition of a few Republican leaders who were sacrificing innocent men. Economic normality was reigning in the Nationalist territory, contrasting with scarcity and hunger in the enemy zone. This was the best guarantee of the ultimate triumph of the Nationalist arms. WAR IN EUROPE PREDICTED CONFLICT IN SPAIN TERMED A "REHEARSAL" ~ LONDON, February 3. "Spain is being used as a rehearsal for the use of modern armaments," declared the Loyalist Prime Minister (Senor Juan Negrin) at a reception to foreign journalists. "If the civil war lasts through the summer, a European conflict will be started by Italy and Germany. It is inevitable that the longer the civil war lasts, the more serious will the European conflict be. Armament supplies for the insurgents are more important than the withdrawal of volunteers. The Republicans could win the war in three months if they were sufficiently armed." The Perpignan correspondent of the Paris newspaper "Le Journal" predicts a Loyalist Cabinet reshuffle. Since Mr Eden's resignation and the fall of Teruel it is feared that Britain and .France are less interested in the civil war, for which reason the Government desires to rid itself of the extreme elements. It is predicted that this may have a decisive effect on the outcome of the war. FUTURE OWNERSHIP OF GIBRALTAR STATEMENT BY GENERAL DE LLANO DENIED CBHT'SB OrTICIAL WTRBLMS.) RUGBY, March 3. Questioned on the statements allegedly made on Gibraltar by the rebel leader, General De Llano, the Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Mr R. A. Butler) informed the House of Commons that a report on the matter had been received from the Governor of Gibraltar, which gave every reason for thinking that the General's speech had been incorrectly reported. The Government's information was that no suggestion had been made that Gibraltar should become Spanish territory. DECORATIONS FOR JOURNALISTS HONOURS CONFERRED B* GENERAL FRANCO (Received March 4, 8 p.m.) BURGOS, March 3. General Franco received the correspondent of "The Times," Mr H A. R. Philby, and awarded him the Red Cross of Military Merit. He also handed over posthumous decorations for the British Journalist Mr E R. Sheepshanks, and tne Americans, Messrs Bradish, Johnson, and E. J. Neil, who were killed on the Teruel front in December. DIVORCE FORBIDDEN IN FRANCO'S TERRITORY BURGOS, March 3. The Nationalists have forbidden divorce in General Franco's territory.