SWEEPING ON

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22998, 28 March 1938, Page 9

SWEEPING ON

PR NEARING END OBSERVERS' BELIEF JJJGHT CONFERENCES government leaders Jy Til*|fr«ph —Press Association—Copyright (Received March 27, 5.n p.m.) LONDON, March 2H While the insurgents on the 'Aragon f w ere pushing on toward Catalonia, the "Republican leaders in Barcelona held a series of conferences during the night to disctisa the internal and interactional situations before a Cabinet meeting. The Prime Minister, Senor Kegrin, had a long conference with tho French Ambassador, and he also received representatives of the trades union federations, whom he advised of the situation at the front. It is understood the main question j'gi how much war material the Government can expect from foreign

jources. The Navarrese Corps, •which is fighting for, the'rebels, advancing over snow north of Huesca, captured Banestas, Yaqiieda and Nueno, inflicting heavy losses, says the Burgos correspondent of the Times. The Aragonese column crjssed the Biver Clumen and secured Aiferobajo. Other troops took Huorrios, Binaries and Cnarte. A special correspondent of the Times it Hendaye is of thej opinion that the eiyil war has entered on its last stage in default of substantial foreign aid for the loyalists, whose new army shot its bolt at. Teruel.

, Bitter Conflict This eorrrespondent testifies to the obstinacy of the fighting, and says that ware after ware of rebel infantry, supported bv artillery, tanks and scores of bombing aeroplanes. was thrown egainst the Republicans, who desperately withstood the superior. forces with hand-grenades and fixed bayonets, but all in vain in the face of the weight of .their opponents' onslaught. This was indicated by the latter taking 5000 prisoners. The expectation of an early termination of the campaign, says the Saragosst correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, is supported by the discovery in j diary and letters of a Californian. Major Merriman, Chief of Staff of the loyalists' loth Brigade. These testify to the increasingly embarrassing positwti of the loyalists, indicating that the mr will soon be over. T s .' • Republicans' Rally

• Nevertheless, thousands of loyalists are responding to the call for the construction of fortifications.

Th« Republicans rallied even against the tanks, says the Barcelona correspondent of, the Times. General. Poms reports*. "The soldiers who resist until theft bones are crushed are . symbolic of our strife. The enemy may annihilate us, but cannot make us surrender." The town of Huesca, which the Government troops had besieged since the civil war began, has been completely freed as the result of General Franco's drive. „

UNREST IN FRANCE INTERVENTION DEMANDED WORKERS' MASS MEETING STAY-IN STRIKE SPREADS (R«ceived March 27, 8.10 p.m.) %%■} ,V. PARIS. March 27 A mass meeting of workers shouting: "Action! Action!'" and demanding thjt the Government shonlrl support the Spanish Republicans, shouted down M.* Jouhaiix, secretary of the Trades Union Syndicate, who declared that any action taken must be soberly considered by .the workers' executives. The stay-in strike at five of the Citroen motor factories has extended to 10 other factories, which the workers are occupying, partly as a protest against tW slowness of the employers in renewing collective contracts, and partly owing to trades union disappointment at the continued bail on the export of arms to Spain. The Prime Minister, M. Blum, is making efforts to reach a settlement.

INSURGENTS' ADVANCE Republican lines smashed GAIN OF SEVERAL MILES (Received March 27, 8.10 p.m.) LONDON. March 27 The insurgents, in their new offensive on the dragon front, have entered the coastal province of Castellon, near Alcaniz, and advanced 10 miles. A column which * crossed the J'ivcr Kbro on Thursday smashed the Republican lints and crossed the Guada"Pe River soi'th-east of Caspe. This column advanced several miles alter defeating vigorous resistance by the Italian anti-Fascists' Garibaldi column, "which they ejected from their trenches bj bayonet charges. SINKING OF ENDYMION British note to franco (Received Murrli \!7, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 20 Ihe British Government has sent a Note to General- Franco stating that it holds the Spanish Nationalist authorities responsible for the sinking of the Endymioij on January 31. Britain reserves the right to claim full compensation.