SWEEPING ON

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23083, 7 July 1938, Page 13

SWEEPING ON

FRANCO'S__ADVANCE DRIVE TOJALENCIA ITALIAN AIR RAID LOYALIST NAVY BOMBED THREE SHIPS CRIPPLED By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received July G. ll.liO p.m.) LONDON. July (! In spite of Republican denials, evidence is accumulating that General Franco is steadily advancing on all fronts in Spain, says a message from Saragossa. The Nationalist armies are now 20 miles from Valencia, which is their next big objective. General Franco's troops have passed Burriana and surrounded Villavieia, meaning the domination of Nules, which is the most important town before Sagunto, Valencia's northern bulwark. Air raids on coastal towns are now incessant, and aeroplanes are harr.vine Republican refugees and covering the rebel advance. Italian aeroplanes from Majorca completely crippled the Spanish Republican fleet on June 17, according to a message from Saragossa published in the Home newspaper 11 Messagero. Confirmation j of the success of the raid was delayed ! because the Republicans threatened to shoot anyone spreading the news. The cruisers Lihertad and Cervantes, and the destroyer Almiranto Valdes were badly damaged and will be useless j for months. The battleship Jaime Primero, which was bombed months ago, is still being repaired. The death roll in yesterday morning's raid on Badalona was 14, including an entire family of seven, who were killed in a cellar. Thirty were injured. The centre of the town was wrecked.

FRANCO'S PROSPECTS VICTORY IN THE WAR SIR R. HODGSON'S VIEWS DURATION UNCERTAIN LONDON, July 5 It is, understood that Sir Robert Hodgson, in the course of discussions with the Foreign Secretary, Viscount Halifax, expressed the opinion that General Franco would ultimately win the war, says the Australian Associated Press. His allies would certainly see to that, but it was impossible to forecast of the war, FOREIGN VOLUNTEERS WITHDRAWAL AGREEMENT PLAN TO BE PUBLISHED , LONDON, July 5 A full meeting of the Non-inter-vention Committee unanimously accepted a final revised version of the British plan for the withdrawal of foreign combatants from Spain. The plan will be published as soon as it has been received by both the Spanish parties, which, it is hoped, will be on Friday. Britain, France, Italy and Germany each handed a sum of £12,500, totalling £50,000, to the Committee's Secretary, thus enabling the essential preliminary 'work prior to the withdrawal to be set in motion.