STALEMATE IN SPAIN

Evening Star, Issue 23092, 19 October 1938, Page 11

STALEMATE IN SPAIN

NO PROSPECT OF OUTSIDE MEDIATION GOVERNMENT WILLING TO NEGOTIATE WITH ADVERSARIES BURGOS AUTHORITIES MORE MILITANT Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, October IS. Tbe special correspondent of ‘The Times ’ at Hendaye says: “ Hopes that the Spanish war appeared to be declining have again vanished owing to Burgos and Barcelona again rejecting mediation. The belief had recently grown that both sides had become more accessible to the counsels of moderation, but optimism once more has been killed. “ On the nationalist side, hundreds have joined General Franco in condemning mediation as traitorous, and equally intransigent was Dr Negrin’s week-end broadcast, in which he said the republic will not accept outside mediation or dictated terms, although willing at any time to negotiate peace with the adversary. That is the essential difference between the attitudes of Burgos and Barcelona to peace. “Burgos says peace can come only through annihilation of its adversary, while Barcelona savs (peace can be reached through conciliation ' and collaboration for the Reconstruction of Spain. The only prospect is that the war must continue until either the military stalemate is broken or the morale of one of the adversaries fails.”

THE EBRO FRONT FRANCO’S OFFENSIVE DIES DOWN. LONDON, October 18. The 1 Daily Telegraph’s ’ Barcelona correspondent says General Franco’s sixth offensive on the Ebro front has died down, and the front line is practically unchanged. It is estimated that insurgent squadrons yesterday dropped 500 tons of bombs.