MADRID FALLS

Hokitika Guardian, 9 November 1936, Page 5

MADRID FALLS

FRANCO’S ENTRY

POWERS RECOGNISE VICTORY.

*,'United Presa Association—By Electric Teiegipph—Copyright).

. . LONDON, November ;8; ■, •It Is. reported . that .General Franco eiitered Macjrid at 1 p.m. y Moors and legionairies ; are re- ■ ■ ported to be advancing unopposed .( on the city’s", outskirts. They, found several barricades of death , unman- ; nod, and white flags displayed on . many outlying houses. It is reported. from Berlin that Germany, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Portugal, and certain South Amer- . ican Republics have already intimated intention of, r*eoo*nising s General 'Franco’s Government im—mediately he enters Madrid. ~ >■■ . According to a Paris, message the French and 'British .Governments ' have agreed not to..jrecognise General Franco. . - The Spanish Ambassador (Senor Pablo de Azcarate) called on the Foreign Secretary (Mr R. A. Eden) to announce the, retirement of the Governtnent to

Albaceto, a hundred miles from ValA enciz,. “temporarily, in order to pre-> i vent unnecessary bombardinent and loss of life among civilians.”. •? . : \ , Meanwhile the military Government remains in control in : Madrid- __ Heavyshelling continues. . s , The Madrid correspondent of 'the British United. Press confirms' the Government’s departure and says the Russian Ambassador has vacated the Em- . lassy. ’ ■

A message from Paris states that the Foreign Office announces" that there is no need to recognise General Franco’s Government immediately Madrid is entered. ■'.‘.‘Britain and France are determined to co-operate,” it is added. “We have nothing against General Franco, but recognition must be. withheld until it is seen. • whether one side or the other restores normality.’’

REBELS ENTRY INTO THE CITY.

OPPOSITION SWEPT AWAY.

v LONDON, November 8. Mr G. Ai D. Ogilvie-Forbes,- British Charge d’Affaires in Madrid, telephoning on Saturday evening, reported that the insurgents were-;entering- the western and southern outskirts of the city. "■ ■ ’V: '

General Franco’s troops .have established themselves on the outskirts of Vjthe capital exactly five' months after 'the outbreak .of 1 civil war., Saturday’s advance followed three hours' of a tori' rifying intensification of the bombardment of Governmentpositions. Che shelling silenced the Government’s guns and damaged the Mediodia railway station within a mile of the centre of the 1 ■ city. ;;• .• • , ..■•'■■;.. ; '

After this General Verela’s six assaulting columns, supported by 40

tanks and 30 aeroplanes—the« latter flying in batches of six and repeatedly bombing 'Government, troops—advanced at dawn. . The defenders, who lost hearily, courageously resisted in certain quarters, hut in other trenches were abandoned with heaps of hand-grenades and other munitions. The defenders frequently counter* . attacked, but Moors, legionaries and machine-guns swept them away. Heavy fighting took place in the morning near the Toledo bridge, where the defenders, with machine-guns, concealed among slaughter-houses, took heavy toll. By the afternoon the insurgents had reached.the belt of parks and promenades pn the banks of the Manzabares river, flowing on the western face of the city, which they were assaulting. They concentrated on the Segovia Gate, near Casa del Campo, and the Presidential Palace, which • Senor Azana , was.

not occupying, being m The insurgents are! aiming to reach the prison, where, they hope to free -the prisoners. The prison is only a mile from the heart of the city, Puerta Del Sol. • 1 .

. General Valera, reporting by wireless to General Franco, declared that anarchists were causing wildest confusion in the centre of Madrid. “They are emptying the arsenals and threatening to blow up munitions, and shooting hostages. We fear for the safety of 30,000 hostages imprisoned in various centres A?,-

A broadcast 1 claims that panic has broken out in the city. Fires-are burning in many of the principal buildings. There is a huge traffic block on, the Madrid-Valencia road owing to the exodus of refugees. ; . A message from I/isbon reports that the insurgents attacked again in the afternoon, using flame-throwers. They

,'Were accompanied by 100 tanks and armoured cars. They w#e aiming at the capture Of- key positions, the western parks, from which they would he able to advance to the centre of Madrid. '

Inhabitants in the districts which General Franco controls were already celebrating by ringing church bells and singing and dancing, in tlie streets., The majority of shops are closed. Numbers of buildings are damaged by shelling.