TABLES TURNED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22517, 7 September 1936, Page 9

TABLES TURNED

BABELS DEFEATED SEQUEL TO A VICTORY RUSE DECEIVES LOYALISTS By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received September G, 6.35 p.m.) MADRID, Sept. 5 A temporary victory of the rebels at Talavera, a few miles west of Toledo, was followed by their retreat. They were forced to retire along the entire 12-raile front. The victory was due to the strategy of the insurgent leader, General Castejon, who ordered a retreat on the pretence that his troops were demoralised.

The loyalists left their positions and charged the retreating column only to be ambushed between two other rebel columns who fired at both flanks. General Yagues, the rebel commander, said: "We killed everyone who had been defending the town. I am sorry for poor General Riquelme, the Government leader, falling into a trap like an inexperienced child." This exultation turned out to be premature, a Government airman later reporting that the loyalists had completely recovered their lost ground. Strong batteries of artillery and seven triple-engined bombers flanked by chaser aeroplanes supported the Government attack which was driven gallantly home by Colonel Asensio and Colonel Burillo of the Shock Guards. Many prisoners were taken. The President, Don Manuel A /.ana, arrived at Talavera after the loyalists' victory and was enthusiastically greeted. The rebels had hoped to break the Government line, which screens the road to Madrid, also to relieve the starving occupants of Toledo and Alcazar.

WESTERN FRONT CONFLICTING CLAIMS THE ROAD TO TOLEDO (Received September 6, 5.5 p.m.) MADRID, Sept. 5 Whereas the Madrid Government claims to have stopped the rebels' westerly advance on Estremadura tli<* insurgents' wireless station at Burgos claims a great victory and the capture of artillery at Talavera, thus opening the road if Toledo. NEW CABINET FORMED LABOUR LEADEft AT HEAD FIRMER MEASURES IN WAR (Received September 6, 6.35 p.m.) MADRID, Sept. 5 The Socialist leader, Senor Francisco Largo Caballero, has formed a new Government, consisting of sis Socialists, two Communists, one Republican Unionist, one Catalanist, two Left Republicans and one Basque. The new Cabinet is credited with a determination to adopt firmer measures in the prosecution of the civil war. The Prime Minister has issued a manifesto in which he says his foreign policy is friendliness to all countries and adherence to the League oi Nations. The Cabinet has appointed Senor Pablo de Azcarate, Deputy SecretaryGeneral of the League, as its ambassador in London. Senor Caballero is Spain's most powerful Labour leader. He has spent much time fighting with the militia since the war broke out and is conversant with the army's needs.

Senor Francisco Largo Caballero, who was a ' member of the first Government formed after the o\erthrow of the Spanish monarchy, is a stonemason by trade. He first came into prominence a& a politician when he and Signor lglesias founded the Spanish Socialist Part;y. and in 1917 he was one of the organisers of the revolutionary strike. With Senor Zamora and others he was involved in the Republican rising of December, 1930. The leaders were brought before a court-martial in March, 1931, when the Public Prosecutor demanded sentences of 15 years' imprisonment for the accused. In view, however, of tho strength of republican sentiment m Spain, Senor Caballero and the others were given only six months in gaol. They were still in prison when the municipal elections of April gave a huge majority against tho monarchy, with the result that- a Republic was proclaimed and King Alfonso left Spain. In the Government which Senor Zamora then formed, Senor Caballero, as secretary of tho Workers' Union, became Minister of Labour. He lias occupied the same position in the Governments formed by Sonor Azana up to September, 1933. DIPLOMAT RESIGNS AMBASSADOR TO AMERICA NEW CABINET OPPOSED (Received September 6, 0.35 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Sept. 5 The Spanish Ambassador, Senor Luis Calderon, who has been 32 years in his country's diplomatic service and so far during the rebellion lias been loyal to the Republican regime, announced his resignation to-day. He explained that he could not co-operate with the new Caballero Government. SUPPORT FOR SPAIN WOMAN'S VISIT TO PARIS PAEIS. Sept. 4 "Aeroplanes for Spain," was the repeated cry from an assembly of 30,000 Parisians gathered to hear the appeal of "La Passionaria," Spain's woman Red leader for help for Spain. "We are defending liberty and peace/' she 'said. "Give us guns and aeroplanes for our strugglo." Fifty thousand people took part in another demonstration in Paris carrying banners urging support for Spain. POPE'S PLEA FOR PRAYERS ROME, Sept. -1 The Pope, addressing Franciscans, called for prayers in view of "the flagrant evils and discord in Spain where brothers kill brothers, and where they slaughter souls in the midst of so many sacrileges and such horrible destruction of everything that is most human."