SPANISH RISING FAILS

Grey River Argus, 9 October 1934, Page 5

SPANISH RISING FAILS

BARCELONA GIVES IN Still Sporadic Shootings (Aus. & NZ. Cable Assn.) MADRID, October 7. The Catalan Republic collapsed ignominously after a life of eight hours. It is understood that a courtmartial is now sitting in a steamer in Barcelona Harbour to deal summarily with charges of high treason against Count Lanyo and other provisional Catalan Ministers.

On Saturday evening, Senor Don Luis Companyo, President of the Catalonia, declared “a separate government, entitled the Catalan state of the Iberian Federal Republic.” When Senor Companyo proclaimed a Republic, he invited Senor Batet, on whose sympathies he relied, to join the new State. Batet promised a reply within an hour. It was given by his troops marching from the barracks and taking possession of the public square, and principal buildings, and proclaiming a state of war.

"When the rebels first gained possession of Generalidad Palace, and the loyal troops were being marched out, a captain of the rebel shock troops ordered them to withhold fire. His first lieutenant promptly countermanded this, on which the captain drew a revolver and shot the lieutenant dead.

After bombarding the palace nightlong, Batet issued an ultimatum that at daybreak, unless they surrendered, he would storm the Palace. The rebels complied. After Companyo’s despairing wireless appeal to the peasantry to arm and aid him, Batet bombed the aerials, and captured the police headquarters, where a section of the rebels were holding out. He secured the surrender of the Generalidad Palace with cannon shot, ami as military dictator sent troops to quench the last embers of the revolt at Gerona. Companyo, though wounded, bore himself with proud indifference, as with Ministers, Mayor, and Councillors, he was marched out of the Generalidad under arrest.

Companyo broadacasted to the Catalonians; T surrendered to Batet to avoid new sacrifices, since means of resistance are exhausted. The Minister of the Interior simultaneously announced: Companyo surrendered to avoid useless resistance and distressing consequences. Long live Spain and the Republic.

The Generalidad Palace suffered severely from the bombardment. Several buildings were demolished and railway lines torn up by rebels. The Government troops repulsed a rebel attack on the naval barracks. Twenty were killed and seventy wounded.

Fifteen were reported killed in the Palace bombardment, and 20 to 70 killed and wounded in the fighting around the naval and air force barracks at Barcelona. Fifty wounded were removed to hospitals, among them being the rebel leader Badia.

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 military law. Shots ignited a petrol tank at Barcelona, and caused extensive fire.

SEARCH FOR AZANA. MADRID, October 7. After the fall of the Palace at Barcelona, the Government ordered the arrest of Azana, whom the troops are still seeking. All the Catalonian Ministers, it is understood, will be tried by a constitutional tribunal. Premier Lerroux declared that the Catalonia and the Asturias are definitely under control. AT OTHER PLACES. MADRID, October 7. Batet hastened to Gerona, in the northern province of Catalonia, where a regiment is reported to have mutinied and murdered a General, two Majors, and a Captain. It is understood that President Zamora personally intervened to save Companyo’s immediate * courtmartial and execution. The Mayor of Taragona was wounded while addressing insurgents from the Town Hall balcony. Socialist leaders at Bilbao were arrested. Severe fighting at San Sebastian resulted in twelve being wounded. Waterside warehouses were burnt down. The Government suppressed the rising at Gerona where five w T ere killed. Three soldiers and eight rebels were killed and many were wounded at San Sebastian. An earlier message said that fighting was reported in 40 towns. All hospitals are packed with, injured.

Rebels in Madrid renewed the attacks on the Ministries of Public j Works, Communications, Interior, and Telephone buildings, but were repulsed. The Left Wing forces are not unanimous in opposing the Government. The situation at Madrid to-night is

still serious. There are frequent out bursts of guerilla fighting. Simultaneously with Companyo’s surrender came the news that elsewhere the Government troops were getting the upper hand. Barcelona is now completely quiet. Attempts to form an independent Catalonian republic have definitely failed. CASUALTY LIST. MADRID, October 7. The revised estimate of the Spanish revolutionary casualties is three hundred killed, and seven hundred wounded. The indiscriminate nature of the street shooting is indicated by tho presence on adjacent slabs in the mortuary of the bodies of a policeman and a little girl. Firing broke out again in the

Atachna quarter, spreading to Puertadelsol, Lavatie, and several suburbs. Three were killed. Rebels fired on trains arriving at southern stations. The Government repelled an attack on the Penuelas goods train. GIBRALTAR, Octobr 7.

Nobody is allowed into Spain. Two battalions of the Spanish Foreign Legion have arrived al Algeciras en route for Barcelona.

LATER NEWS. MADRID, October 7. The Lerroux Government apparently holds the upper hand, thanks to the loyalty of the bulk of the armed forces, but the strike continues, and revolt is still smouldering. The rebels are doing their utmost to prolong ths strike. Anarchists threaten a continuation of the reign of terror to undermine Hie Government. Thcc’Government has ordered the municipal employees to resume work to-morrow and the street lighters tonight. Shops and factories have been instructed to reopen to-morrow, but to-night the capital resembles a city of the dead.

The Government is losing no time in consolidating the position at Madrid, Barcelona, and Asturias. Troops and police have been instructed mercilessly to crush the slightest recurrence of the revolt.

Schools are temporarily closed throughout Spain. Curfew sounds at nine o’clock nightly, all pedestrian •• passing President Lamora's residence to do’so with soldiers’ revolvers pressed into their ribs. Premier Lerroux broadcast a message to the nation and said the rebellion had reached its peak. He claimed that the movement which had such painful consequences was limited to the Asturias and Catalonia. He appealed to all Spaniards to harbour no hatreds. The Government would do its duty, and was ready to re-establish constitution statutes.

Lerroux 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 Premier continued unperturbed.

It is reported from Rome that 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.

MADRID REBELS. NOT YET SILENCED. (Received October 8 at 9 10 p.m.) LONDON. October 8. Press correspondents agree that the Spanish Government’s victory is not yiet final, stating that the official St<’cialist leaders have been arrested or are dead, or are fleeing, but that new leaders have rallied Socialist forces in Madrid, where a nt niggle for the nontheru railway station is going on. They stated firing could be heard in all parts of the city. The revolt at the capital was based on tihe belief that the Barcelona venture was certain Ito succeed, but the revolt generally collapsed directly the Barcelona plans became d-oomed to failure.

THE MADRID FIRING. LONDON,* October 8. Shots struck the partition of a room in which Premier Lerroux and other Ministers were planning against the rebels. The crackle of rifle and machine gun fire in Madrid was heard in £he “Daily Express” office at London as its correspondent at Madrid telephoned a description of the fighting there. THE CASUALTIES. ENGLISH ESTIMATES VARY WIDELY. (Received October 8 at 9.10 pm.) LONDON. October 8. The “Daily Express” Madrid correspondent states that at least a thousand are already dead and many thousands of wounded are in crowded hospitals. The “Daily Telegraph” Madrid coTrcspondenjt, ’however, gives more conservative estimates 'of the casualties. He states that the dead total 300, and the wounded. 1200.