FINAL ASSAULT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22792, 28 July 1937, Page 13

FINAL ASSAULT

REBELS ON MADRID FORCES BEING MASSED AERIAL BOMBERS' ATI) DESIDERATE RESISTANCE By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received July 28. 32.35 a.m.) LONDON. July 27 A message from Madrid states that for the first time since the desperate days of November, General Franco's forces are massing for a frontal attack on the streets and squares of Madrid. In the meantime his bombing aeroplanes are attempting to break up the loyalist concentrations outside the city. General Franco's "bounter-offOnsivo is being taxed to the full by the task of again ejecting the loyalists from Bruncte. It is now at a standstill, at least temporarily, owing to the desperate courage with which the loyalists are defending Villa Ncuva do la Canada, where they are hurling back ono infantry attack after another. • The members of tho main body of tho loyalists are digging themselves in, in the expectation of a stiffening of the defcnco by the arrival of reinforcements. Government troops last night fell back from the cemetery, where they had been desperately resisting, and are now occupying a position between Brunete and Villa Ncuva de la Canada. The Government claims that General Franco's onslaught already has cost him 25,000 men. They admit that pressure obliged the Government forces to withdraw to the,, woods north of Brunete. where they are in a strongly fortified position dominating Villa Neuva de la Canada. The insurgents claim to have inflicted thousands of casualties and to have destroyed 50 tanks. At Salamanca the insurgents are reforming as a prelude to a further advance before the Government forces have time to reform their lines.

OPINION IN ROME FALL OF THE CAPITAL IMMINENCE BELIEVED LONDON. July 20 The Rome correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says General Franco's preparations for the final attack on Madrid are considered to be more important than non-intervention. Official circles are confident that Madrid will soon fall and that the French and British Governments will have to recognise General Franco as the head of Spain. Even thoso who are pessimistic as to General Franco's immediate victory have no doubt of the ultimate outcome and argue that it would be madness to agrco to the withdrawal of volunteers.

PLIGHT OF TROOPS SCORCHING SUN OVERHEAD MEN STRIPPED TO THE WAIST PARIS. July 20 A message from Hendaye says the latest reports indicate that the insurgents are massing nlen, material and aeroplanes for a final "show down" at the gates of Madrid. The desperate resistance of the Government forces is being carried out under a scorching sun. Troops are stripped to the waist. Many, heedless of the risk, have discarded their steel helmets and wrapped handkerchiefs around •their heads, while others wear smoked glassed and discard heavy boots for rope-soled shoes. They have improvised respirators with handkerchiefs because of the clouds of dust from tanks and the fumes from explosives. Lorries laden with beer and mineral waters and tank waggons with water plough through shell-riddled fields to quench the thirst of the fighters. In spito of their enforced retreat, the Government forces claim that thero was no panic. REBEL ALLEGATIONS DENIAL BY BRITAIN WAR MATERIAL EXPORTS British Wireless RUGBY, July 20 The Foreign Secretary, Mr. Eden, in the Hotiso of Commons to-day said instructions had been sent to the British Ambassador at Hendaye, Sir Henry Chilton, to inform General Franco's "Government" categorically that no war material had been exported under licence, from Britain to Spain, either directly or indirectly, since the civil war began. Mr. Eden referred to tho belief that guns of recent British manufacture had been captured from the Basques at Bilbao. He added that Sir Henry Chilton had informed the Franco "Government" that if it was able to give markings or dates of any British guns found in Bilbao, which appeared to have been manufactured since the civil war began, the British Government would be very willing to endeavour to investigate the circumstances. General Franco has decided not to ban the entry to Bilbao of British ironmining experts.

BASQUE CHILDREN

BAD CONDUCT IN ENGLAND SEVERAL TO BE DEPORTED LONDON, July 20 Fifteen incorrigible children from the Basque camp at Brcchfa, Wales, and five from Stoneliam, Hampshire, are to be repatriated because they aro giving the camps a bad name. The lo referred to raided and robbed a visiting angler's car, then inarched into a village singing "The Bed Flag" and brandishing picks and knives stolen from the camp after the angler had reported them to the police. The children also stoned the windows of a cottage of a man who had chastised 0110 of them for hitting his daughter. They mado the house uninhabitable.