EVACUATION OF BRITONS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 49, 26 January 1939, Page 9

EVACUATION OF BRITONS.

WARSHIP" STANDS BY. (Independent Cable Service.) LONDON, Jan. 25. The cruiser Devonshire is lying off Caldetas to take off British nationals. She sent a radio message to London early this morning that the fall of Barcelona was imminent and added that the British Minister (Mr It. S. Stevenson) had been repeatedly urged to leave, but so far had refused. General Franco is hoping that the Government will evacuate, leaving in authority a citizens’ committee, who will invite the rebels to occupy the citv, thus avoiding street and house fighting. . „. A large concentration of L1 VI Givmls arid special police are waiting just behind the front lines, and organised squads of engineers, doctors, nurses social workers and lorries loaned with food are also ready to rush to the citv. while food ships arc reported to be waiting to sail from Caste lion, Tarragona and the Balearic Islands. Moors who yesterday captured Gaya and the IJobregat airport to-day claim to have entered the hospital at ua.na Antunez and two of Barcelona s outer suburbs near the coast. Saliadell, an important manufacturing town 15 miles north-west from Barcelona, is already under .artillery fare and the spearhead of the rebel advance is claimed to he only eight miles a wav. With the fall of Sabadell the rebels hope to cut the main const road to France from Barcelona, thus preventing a retreat.