FRANCO’S PLANS UPSET

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 74, 21 December 1937, Page 11

FRANCO’S PLANS UPSET

The Battle For Terne

SPANISH LOYALISTS’ SUCCESS Counter-Claim By Rebels FIGHT ON FLOODLIT AND FROZEN FIELD By Telegraph.—Press. Assn.—Copyright. (Received December 20, 5.30 p.m.) London, December 20. Tlie Government forces claim to have completely surrounded Teruel, states a message from Barcelona. They have sent an ultimatum to civilians to leave immediately, and demand that combatants should lay down their arms. The Republicans launched night attacks against Teruel from the east, west and north. Powerful /Republican searchlights floodlit the frozen battlefield. The attackers occupied houses lu the suburbs and took an “enormous number of prisoners.” Earlier loyalist successes included the occupation of the key fortress of Lamuela, whose garrison abandoned it, half fleeing to Teruel and the remainder being annihilated. The Valencia correspondent of the “Daily Telegrajih” states that the success of the Republicans at Teruel upset the plans of the rebel Commander-in-Chief, General Franco, for a largescale offensive. Insurgents Claim Repulse. A message from Salamanca states that an official announcement from rebel headquarters reports the continuance of fighting in the neighbourhood of Teruel, resulting in the repulse ’of the Republicans with heavy Joss south of the city. The rebels captured and set fire to five tanks in the Campillo and-Canjul sectors, and took many prisoners. They also shot down 10 aeroplanes. The rebels claim to have recovered the initiative on the Teruel front. They assert that planes inflicted heavy losses. Infantry, counter-attacking, drove back the defenders. The battle was fought withzthe temperature 10 degrees below zero, amid a raging snowstorm.

LONDON MEETINGS Labour Demonstrations In Favour Of Loyalists \ SPEECH BY MR. ATTLEE (Received December 20, 6.20 p.m.) Loudon, December 20. Besides an overflow meeting at Hammersmith Hall, 9000 people attended a Labour demonstration in favour of the Spanish Loyalists at the Albert Hall. The leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party, Mr. O. R. Attlee, referring to his recent visit to Spain, said he found orderly government trnd civilised administration. The Loyalists, given aqual opportunities, would win. They would have done so already if non-in-tervention had been equally applied. Sir Stafford Cripps, K.C., declared that the British workers would hound the Government from office if it granted General Franco belligerent rights. REBEL REPRISAL Bombing Of Barcelona (Received December 20, 7.45 p.m.) Barcelona, December 20. The insurgents, as a reprisal for the Loyalist attacks on Teruel, heavily bombed Barcelona from the air. Two hospitals were hit, many people being killed. FRONTIER REOPENED Spain To Portugal.

Lisbon, December 19. The Portuguese-Spanish frontier was reopened yesterday, and a passenger and goods railway service was re-estab-lished. SHELLING OF MADRID Fourteen Children Killed Madrid, December 19. • An insurgent shell killed 14 children and three old men in a street and injured 32 people. OTAGO GRADUATE Killed In Action In Spain Dominion Special Service. Dunedin, December 20. Word hag been received that Alexander Crocker McLure, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs, A. M. McClure, of Westmount, aged 25 years, was killed in action during the Spanish Government offensive on the Saragossa front. McClure was well known to many Dunedin people, as he took classes at the Otago School of Mining in 1936 and graduated A.O.S.M. He fell at Fluentes in October. He was keenly interested in students’ affairs in Dunedin, being particularly active in the Public Questions Union. He was a member of the Communist Party, and was always extremely well liked among students.