SUELING OF MADRID

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 24 April 1937, Page 9

SUELING OF MADRID

NO MILITARY OBJECTIVE PEOPLE NOT IMPRESSED 450 CASUALTIES IN ELEVEN DAYS [United Press Association—By Electric. Telegraph—Copyright] LONDON. 22nd April. For the eleventh day in succession the insurgents heavily bombarded Madrid. Between 200 and 300 eight-inch shells have fallen daily. Twenty shells fell this afternoon around the Gran Via. scattering a funeral procession which was accompanying yesterday’s dead to the cemetery. The casualty roll is now 200 killed and 250 injured in eleven days. A North American Newspaper Alliance special message from the author Ernest Hemingway, who is at present in Madrid, declares that these heavy and indiscriminate bombardments have no military objective, and despite the sight of dead and wounded and of men hosing the streets to wash away debris and blood, the people are not impressed. They scatter to avoid a bombardment., and return to their employment when the shelling ceases and the trams resume running. The loyalists claim to have routed the insurgents near Durango, 16 miles from Bilbao, with a loss of 600 killed and 1000 wounded. The Government offensive in the Cordoba sector is strongly pressing the rebels, and an entire company of 170 n.c.o.’s and men deserted and entered the loyalist lines after murdering their officers. FURTHER BOMBARDMENT SHELLS FALL IN MAIN STREET FIVE KILLED AND MANY INJURED (Received 24th April, 10.55 a.m.) MADRID, 23rd April. Five were killed and many injured during the twelfth consecutive day’s bombardment. Heavy • calibre shells fell in the main streets. A Seville message says that an insurgent submarine claims to have sunk a Government merchantman at Malaga and run another ashore. Bilbao reports that aftei Government aeroplanes kept five rebel air attacks at bay, a sixth killed ten and wounded thirty before the air defence brought down two of the three attackers. The rebels resumed the land offensive and occupied several villages and relieved the hunger of 1500 starving inmates at Santa Agueda lunatic asylum A Valencia message says that the luggage of the Chilean ambassador war searched as it left Spain, and securities, the export of which is prohibited, discovered. The Government states that though the embassy :s the centre of espionage the ambassador was shown every consideration.

RUNNING THE BLOCKADE

THREE BRITISH VESSELS GET THROUGH NO WAR MATERIAL CARRIED BILBAO, 23rd April. The Hamsterley, the MacGregor and the Stanbrook arrived safely. Further details from Saint Jean de Luz reveal that “Corncob” Jones, com- 1 mander of the freighter MacGregor, was. confident that he could overnight emulate “Potato” Jones and deliver a cargo of flour and dried beans. The Stanbrook, which is not fitted with wireless, kept close contact with the others in case of emergency. They all obtained Control Committee certificates that they were not carrying war material. The, trio weighed anchor at 11.30 p.m. H.M.S. I Hood thereupon exchanged signals with the flotilla leader Faulknor, which left an hour later it is assumed to follow the blockade runners, for which three Bilbao pilots arrived by air yesterday. CONFLICTING REPORTS HOW THE SHIPS GOT THROUGH REBEL CRUISER WARNED OFF (Received 24th April, 11.0 a.m.) LONDON, 23rd April. Among conflicting reports of the blockade running is one that an insurgent cruiser fired at one of the British ships outside the three-mile limit. H.M.S. Hood and the destroyer Fire Drake signalled telling the cruiser not to interfere with British shipping. A Bilbao report states that immediately the food ships entered territorial waters the Government warships Vizcaya and Guipuzcoa escorted them while three rebel warships steamed away as the shore batteries dropped shells a few feet short. The Basque Foreign Minister declared that the entry of three ships proves that Bilbao is free from mines. The fact that rebel warships were present, intending to impede the entry of ships and failed, proves that they are incapable of an effective blockade. SHIPS AT GIBRALTAR (Received 24th April, 11.30 a.m.) GIBRALTAR. 23rd April. The Marie Llewellyn arrived en route from Alicante. “Potato" Jones visited the naval authorities at St. Jean-de-Luz. The British steamers Sheffield and Marvin arrived with wheat, oranges and flour for Bilbao. The Marvin belongs to the same owners as the Thorpe Hall.