MARTIAL LAW

Evening Star, Issue 21845, 8 October 1934, Page 9

MARTIAL LAW

PROCLAMATION IK SPAIN MUCH SPORADIC FIGHTING Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. MADRID, October 0. Tbo intensity of the strike is little relaxed. The train service is chaotic, and many places are suffering from a shortage of food. Fighting is proceeding in several quarters of Madrid, notably Cuatros Caminos, the city’s east end, which is notoriously “ red.” The rebels, firing from housetops, attacked the police station and were repulsed, leaving many' dead and injured, including several

women and children. Bomb-throwing and sniping are general throughout the city. Troops are patrolling everywhere, and trench mortars and machine guns have been installed in the Puerta del Sol, the city’s Piccadilly Circus. Martial law has been established. Seuor Lerroux (Prime Minister) appealed to the public workers to resume, with the result that the position has been somewhat eased. Trameat's are being driven by strike breakers under guard. An instance of cold-blooded crime was provided by a boy who, while walking in a street whistling, suddenly shot a policeman with a revolver and fled.

Senor Lerroux declares that the strike has been crushed in Asturias. An earlier message reported that several villages have been recaptured after the rebels had been warned by air that they would not be granted quarter unless they surrendered. Many are taking refuge in the mountains and coalpits. It is stated that the majority of the 30,000 rebels are armed with automatics and are still resisting.

Heavy fighting has occurred at Oviedo, in which women loaded rifles for the menfolk. Catholics are assisting the troops against the rebels, who are committing many outrages. There is a tense atmosphere at Barcelona, where 10,000 people demonstrated all night, demanding a separate republic. The President appeared on the balcony of the palace and urged patience. The rebels, commandeering motor cars, attempted an assault on the barracks, but failed. Machine guns were posted at every strategic point. The Infantry Regiment mutinied at Cartagena, and seized the barracks. Artillery has been sent to suppress them.

Communications with France axe cut off. and hundreds of travellers are stranded ou the frontier, where the roads ai'o blocked by tx’ees.

Rebels renewed their attacks on the Ministries of Public Works, Communications and the Interior, and on the telephone building, but they were repulsed.

THE PRIME MINISTER'S APPEAL

ASTURIAS AND CATALONIA CHIEF DANGER POINTS MADRID, October 7. Senor Lorroux broadcast a message to the nation. He said that the rebelliou had reached its peak, and he claimed that the movement, which had had such painful consequences, was limited to Asturias and Catalonia. He appealed to all Spaniai'ds to harbour no hatreds. The Government would do its duty’, and was ready to re-establish constitutional statutes. The Minister of War announced that the Government would bo humane hut severe in suppressing the revolt. Everyone attacking the police would be shot. The insurgents have proclaimed a Basque republic. At Bermeo police from Bilbao restored order and tore down a red flag. Two infantry regiments attacked the rebels in Asturias, and after heavy fighting captured at the bayonet point the principal .villages held by 10,000 rebels, who fled to mountain strongholds. CATALONIA SEPARATE REPUBLIC DECLARED MADRID, October 6. Don Luis Company's, President of Catalonia, this evening declared “ a separate Government entitled the Catalan State of the Iberian Federal Republic.” It is expected that this will be followed by the establishment of a provisional Government under Senor Azana, the Socialist cx-Prcmier. which will declare the Lorroux Government unconstitutional.

IN MADRID

WAVES OF GUNFIRE OPERATIONS AGAINST CATALAN GOVERNMENT. MADRID, October 7. Events developed rapidly here late yesterday, and martial law was proclaimed alter a virtual outbreak of civil war. The rebels, apparently influenced by Don Companys’s proclamation of an independent Catalonia, opened an attack on the Ministry of the Interior hero and the National Telephone Company’s building. The silence this evening was suddenly shattered by waves of gunfire. Rebels and Government forces were soon battling fiercely with machine guns and rifles. Rebels attempted to assassinate Scnor Fernandez, Minister of Agriculture, but his chauffeur accelerated the car, and the Minister escaped. The police succeeded in dispersing tho rebels. The Government ordered; troops to occupy the capital. A Barcelona message states that Federal troops went into action against the Catalan Government at 11.15 p.m., and opened an attack on the Government Palace which lasted until 2.40 a.in., guns roaring throughout the night. The Catalan Government ordered all communications between .the city and the rest of Spain to be cut off. Instead of playing 'the Catalan hymn th<; radio station broadcast the 4 Marseillaise.’ It is impossible to approach anywhere near the palace, and there must be a large • number of dead and wounded. Broadcasting stations are issuing repeated calls to the people to take up arms. General Franco and 50,000 troops are expected to arrive shortly. GOVERNMENT MEASURES SUCCESSFUL CATALAN LEADERS SURRENDER MADRID, October 7. After bombarding the palace throughout the night, General Batet sent an ultimatum to Don Corapanys at daybreak that unless he surrendered he would storm the palace. Don Companys complied, whereupon the Government ordered the arrest of Don Company's and Senor Azana, for whom the troops arc still seeking. All the Catalonian Ministers, it is understood, will be tried by a constitutional tribunal. Don Company's broadcast the following to Catalonians “ 1 surrendered to General Batet to avoid new -acrifices. since our means of resistance have been exhausted.” The Minister of the Interior simultaneously announced that Don vOtapanys had surrendered to avoid useless resistance and distressing consequences. “ Long live Spain and the Republic.” General Batet hastened to Gerona, a northern province of Catalonia, where a regiment was reported to have mutinied and murdered a general, two majors, and a captain. It is understood that Senor Zamora (President) personally intervened to save Don l.ompanys" from an immediate court martial and execution. It is reported that fifteen were kilhd in the palace bombardment, and twenty killed and seventy wounded ju fighting around the naval and air force barracks at Barcelona. GOVERNMENT GETTING UPPER HAND BARCELONA COMPLETELY QUIET MADRID, October 7. (Received October 8, at 10 a.m.) Simultaneously with Don Company’s surrender came news that elsewhere the Government, .troops were getting the tipper hand. Barcelona is now completely quiet. Attempts to form an independent Catalonian republic have definitely failed. An earlier message said that fighting was reported in forty towns. All hospitals are packed with injured.

Senor l.erroux narrowly escaped death during the firing at Madrid. Two bullets whistled over his head while he was making a speech in the Council Chamber. The Prime Minister continued unperturbed. It is reported from Rome that exKing Alfonso has cancelled his engagements and is in readiness to return to Spain. His private secretary states that he will return only if the Spaniards invite him to save the country from ruin. A FUTILE MOVEMENT DISCOMFITURE OF LEADER MADRID, October V. (Received October 8, at 11.5 a.m.) When Don Companys proclaimed a Republic he invited General Batet, on whose sympathies he had relied, to join the new State. General Batet promised to reply within an hour. It was given by his troops marching from the barracks and taking possession of the public square and the principal buildings, and tlie proclamation of a state of war. After Don Companys’s despairing wireless appeal to the peasantry to arm aid him, General Batet bombed the aerials, and captured the police headquarters, where a section of the rebels was holding out. He secured the surrender of the Generalidad with cannon shot, and as military dictator sent troops to quench the last embers of the revolt at Gerona.

Don. Conipanys, though wounded, bore himself with proud indifference as with his Ministers and the mayor and councillors he was marched out of the Generalidad under arrest. Fifty wounded were removed to hospitals, among them being a rebel leader, Badia.

When flic rebels first gained possession of the Generalidad Palace, and

the loyal troops were being inarched out, the captain of the rebel shock troop ordered them to withhold their fire. His first lieutenant promptly countermanded this, on which the captain drew a revolver and shot the lisutenaun dead. The palace suffered severely from the bombardment. Several buildings were demolished, and railway lines were torn up by the rebels. Government troops repulsed a rebel attack on the naval barracks. Twenty were killed and seventy wounded. The principal, street resembles a battlefield. Barcelona is under complete military control, and is cut off from the remainder of Catalonia and Madrid, which, like the remainder of Spain, is still under martial law. MOftE FIGHTING IN MADRID THREE PEOPLE KILLED MADRID, October 7. (Received October 8, at 11.35 a.m.) Firing has broken out again at the Atochna quarter, spreading to Puerta Del Son, Lavatie, and several suburbs. Three people were killed. The rebels fired on drains arriving at the southern station. The Government repelled an attack on the Penuelas goods station. The Government has ordered municipal employees to resume work to-morrow, and street lighters to-night. Shops and factories are instructed to reopen to-morrow, but to-night tho capital resembles a city of the dead. Despite sporadic fighting, Senor Xer. roux declares that Catalonia and,Asturias are definitely under control. The Mayor of Tarazona was wounded while addressing insurgents from the Town Hall balcony. Socialist leaders at Bilbao were arrested. Severe fighting at San Sebastian Resulted in twelve people being wounded, and waterside warehouses being burnt down. SPANISH FOREIGN LEGION ARRIVES GIBRALTAR, October 7. (Received October 8, at 11.35 a.m.)' Nobody is allowed into Spain. Tw« battalions of the Spanish Foreign Legion have arrived at Algecirag en route to Barcelona. ALL SCHOOLS CLOSED CURFEW SOUNDS AT SCHOOL MADRID, October 7. (Received October 8, at 12.30 p.m.l All schools are temporarily closed throughout Spain. The curfew sound* at 9 nightly. All pedestrians passing President Zamora’s residence do so with soldiers’ revolvers pressed into theip ribs. Shots ignited a petrol tank at Barcelona. and caused an extensive fire. The Government has suppressed ris. ings at Gerona, where five people were killed. Three soldiers and eight rebels were killed and many wounded at Saw Sebastian.