LOYALIST ARMY

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 98, 20 January 1938, Page 9

LOYALIST ARMY

Becoming A First-Rate Fighting Force SOUND STRATEGY Franco’s Troops Little Improved By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. - (Received January 19, 5.5 p.m.) London, January 18. The correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” at Teruel reveals an immense increase in the loyalist lighting power, and adds: “They have for the first time shown a really efficient military machine in operation, displaying discipline and manoeuvring capacity which even the most sanguine observers did not expect six months ago, an outstanding feature being the superiority of the loyalist infantrymen not only in the shock troops. “As a result, the Teruel conflict indicates that the fiercest fighting of the campaign may be expected in the spring. The result will depend ou the infantrymen. “The insurgent leader, General Franco, found the Tooth' of Teruel (Aluela) broke the line, but his infantry failed him because he used numbers of half-trained soldiers—a strange state of affairs after eighteen months’ warfare.

“Significance attaches to the loyalist humanitarianism and discipline in taking a town of 14,000 civilians. It is admitted that one priest and four civilians were shot, but, on the other hand, 20,000 persons, including soldiers, were evacuated in orderly fashion. There was some small-scale looting, as a result of which arrests were made.

“General Franco, attacking, decided to try to repeat the romantic adventure in aid of Alcazar. The apex of two loyalist protecting columns beyond Aluela was obviously weak. If the Government had brought up heavy batteries and set thousands of sappers to work, the buildings defended by the rebels could soon have been made untenable, but the death-roll would- have been terrible. “Chief interest does not lie with Teruel, which is a mass of ruins, but with the strategy of the contending forces.

“Two outstanding loyalist leaders are General Vicente Rojo, commander-in-chief, who directed the Teruel operation, and Lieutenant-Colonel Enrique Lister, who cut the rebel communications and afterward parried their violent attempt to relieve the town. He commands 14,000 shock troops intensively trained in the art of war, who improve immeasurably every month. More will be heard of him.

The Afinister of War, Senor Indalecio Prieto, and the chief of staff have completely organised the loyalist j army, securing adequate petrol and! food supplies. The Government is short of officers, but by the end of the 1 summer there should be a first-rate fighting force.

General Franco’s army, on the con-) trary, has little improved since the outbreak of the struggle. Unless he* can produce better infantry than at Teruel his prospects are not bright.” REBELS ADVANCE i \ Furious Counter-Attack At Teruel Barcelona, January 18. The insurgents launched a furious counter-attack at Teruel and claim to have captured two important hills and hundreds of prisoners. The Government admits that it yielded ground. > CROWD BOMBED Ten Killed, Mostly Women And Children / (Received January 20, 12.5 a.m.) Barcelona, January 19. * Three insurgent planes bombed a ’ Valencia crowd farewelling soldiers leaving for the front, killing ten and wounding thirty, all civilians and mostly women and children. NON-INTERVENTION PLAN (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, January IS. The chairman's Non-Intervention Subcommittee resumed its consideration of the draft dealing with various portions of the committee’s plan. It agreed upon a number of outstanding questions, and also agreed to authorise the secretary to prepare drafts of the replies to be sent to the two Spanish parties. The sub-committee will meet again on Friday.