NO REPRISALS BY NATIONALISTS

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22636, 15 February 1939, Page 11

NO REPRISALS BY NATIONALISTS

Defined Offenders To be Punished

LOYALIST DEVASTATION IN BARCELONA

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPTBIOHT.) (Received February 14, 7.10 p.m.) LONDON, February 13. A message from Burgos says that General Franco announces that he does not intend to carry out personal reprisals. He desires civil life to settle down without vindictiveness. For this reason he strictly defines culpable, political responsibility. Sentences will be retrospective to 1936. He has issued a decree that political responsibility attaches to subverted of Spanish national' order, active and passive opponents of the Nationalists since 1936, and members of the Popular Front since 1936. The last-named will be outlawed and deprived of property. Those who became Freemasons after 1936 will be penalised. The punishments include varying degrees of exile, exclusion from public office, restriction of the place of residence, forfeiture of property, and fines. The Barcelona correspondent of “The Times” says that the devastation, from which a recovery is beginning, reached terrible proportions under the Loyalist regime. Two thousand priests, including several bishops; and possibly the families which tried to protect them were killed. Some were compelled to starve. Nearly all the churches were sacked and many were burned. The Barcelona correspondent of the Exchange News Agency says that a court-martial next week will try at least 300 Loyalist accused, meting out summary justice. It will deal with other charges of espionage and counter-espionage.

MADRID SHELLED

BY REBELS

CATALANS’ FINAL STAND IN PYRENEES

FIFTY THOUSAND REFUGEE SOLDIERS JOIN FRANCO

(Received February 14, 7.10 p.m.)

LONDON, February 13

General Franco’s forces are again shelling Madrid. The Government defenders are replying to the bombardment.

The Madrid correspondent of “The Times” says the ..bombing killed 20 people. A message from Perpignan says that the Nationalists occupy the entire frontier cing the Pyrenees Orientales Department of France. Twenty-five thousand Republicans who were cut off during the Catalan armies’ retreat are making a final stand in the snowy passes of the Pyrenees near the frontier town of Prats de Mollo. They are hemmed in on three sides and are fighting a rearguard action to cover the withdrawal of the wounded and equipment by a narrow mule track. , Consequently they are hurling heavy motor-vehicles down the mountain-side and the field ambulances will meet with the tame fate whan the wounded are through. A message from Toulouse says that 53,500 Republican militiamen, who had chosen for General . Franco, returned to Spain by way of Hendaye from Toulouse in the last fortnight. Another 1300, who chose to remain Republican were sent to a concentration camp at Argeles. • A total of 93,500 civilian refugees have been transferred to all parts of France and 2340 sick and wounded sent to hospital.

ART TREASURES AT GENEVA

FAMOUS TAPESTRIES AND

PAINTINGS

(Received February 14, 7.10 p.m.)

GENEVA, February 13

The Spanish art treasures, which are being brought here for safe keeping until the end of the war, arrived by two special trains made up of 52 trucks, with machine-guns mounted on alternate trucks. There are 1100 articles among which are paintings by Velasquez, Goya, El Greco, Murillo, and Mantegna, and 800 sixteenth-century •Flemish tapestries.

CREATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES

COMPANY FORMED WITH ITALIAN DIRECTORS

(Received February 14, 11.45 p.m.)

LONDON, February 14,

It has been learned that a new company, the Societa del Mediterraneo, directed by Senatore de Michelis, president of the Banco del Lavoro, and Signor Motta, head of the Italian Edison Company, has been formed to build roads and railways and electricity and water plants in Spain. It will use Italian workmen, as General Franco is likely to be short of labour.

It is known that Germany is also offering long-term credits in an effort to obtain contracts for equipment. ______