FINAL STAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23272, 15 February 1939, Page 13

FINAL STAND

ISOLATED FORCE CATALAN ARMIES POLITICAL OFFENDERS FRANCO'S NEW DECREE PEASTIC, PUNISHMENTS By Telegraph—Plrss Association—Copyright Received February 14, 7.40 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 14 'A final stand is being made by 25,000 Spanish' Republicans, who were cut off during the Catalan armies' retreat, in the snowy passes of the Pyrenees near the frontier town of Prats de Mollo, says a message from Madrid. They are hemmed in on three sides, and arc fighting a rearguard action to cover the withdrawal of the' wounded and equipment by a narrow mule track.

The troops are hurling heavy motor t vehicles down the mountain-side. Field ambulances will follow suit when the wounded are through tho pass. These troops occupy the entire frontier facing the Pyrenees Orientales '' department of France. Court-Martial Next Week The Barcelona representative of the Exchange Telegraph Company reports that a court-martial next week will try at least 300 Republicans accused of meting out summary justice, also of espionage and counter-espionage. General Franco announces from Burgos that ho does not intend to make personal reprisals, but desires i civil life to settle down without vindictireness. For that reason he strictly defines culpable political responsibility. Sentences will be retroactive to 1936. General Franco has decreed that political responsibility will bo attached to subvertors of Spanish national order, to active or passive opponents of the Nationalists since 1936, and to members of the Popular Front since 1936, The last-named will be outlawed and deprived of their property. Freemasons will be penalised, the punishments to include varying degrees of exile, exclusion from public office, 'restriction of place of residence, forfeiture of property and fines. The Barcelona correspondent of the Times says the devastation, from which /recovery is beginning, reached terrible proportions. , Republican Savagery Under the Republican regime 2000 i ; priests, including sereral bishops, and possihly the families which tried to protect them, were killed. Some were compelled to starve. .Nearly all churches were sacked, and many were burned. A message from Toulouse states that 5.3.500 Republican militiamen have returned to Nationalist Spain through Hendave from Toulouse in the past fortnight, and that 1300 have decided to remain Republicans. They have been sent to a concentration camp at iitßeles. . k total of 93,500 civilian refugees has been transferred to all parts of jVance. There are 2340 sick and wounded in hospital.

Italian company

FORMATION IN ROME PUBLIC WORKS IN SPAIN NAZIS ALSO SEEK CONTRACTS Independent Cable Service (Received February 14, 10.'20 p.m.) LONDON. Feb. 14 It is learned that a new company, Societa del Mediterraneo, directed by Senatore De Michelis, president of the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, and Sig- > nor Motta, head of the Italian Edison Companv, has been formpd in Rome to build roads, railways, electricity and water plants in Spain, using Italian workmen, as General Franco is likely to be short of labour. It is known that Germany is also offering long-term credits in an effort to obtain contracts for equipment. SIMULTANEOUS ACTION BRITAIN AND FRANCE TIMES WRITER'S OPINION (Received February 14, 5.5 p.m.) Times Cable LONDON. Feb. 13 The diplomatic correspondent of the Times expresses the opinion that England and France will recognise Franco simultaneously. ' London's chief thought is to hasten • the end of the war, believing General ' Franco's victory 'is certain, whether peacefully after surrender by the Re- , publicans, or by a costly victory, so that Britain is not likely advance conditions to General Franco involving further Republican sacrifice}.

ART TREASURES / REMOVAL TO GENEVA TWO TRAIN-LOADS ARRIVE (Received February 14, 5.5 p.m.) GENEVA, Feb. 13 1 The Spanish art treasures which were handed over to Mr. Neil McLaren, of the London National Gallery, and M. Jaujard, of the Louvre, have arrived in two special trains made up of 52 -rucks, with machine-guns mounted in alternate trucks. There ore 1100 articles, among which are paintings by Velasquez, Goya, El Greco, Murillo and Mariegna, as well as 800 sixteenthcentury Flemish tapestries. The treasures vrtll be held in custody of the League of Nations,, and will ■. he returned after the war to whatever Spanish Government exists in Spain.

MADRID UNDER FIRE ] NATIONALIST AIR RAIDS LONDON, Feb. 13 Twenty people were killed in bombraids on Madrid, states the corres- • Pomlent- of the Times in that city. General Franco's forces, states another message, again shelled the citj ! the Republican batteries replied.