LOYALIST ARMY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23702, 9 January 1939, Page 7

LOYALIST ARMY

A LARGE PART DESTROYED REBEL OFFENSIVE CONTINUES HEAVY CASUALTIES SUFFERED (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) HENDAYE, Jan. 6. General Franco’s offensive entered its third week with undiminished violence. He is not allowing the exhausted loyalists to rally and reorganise. The rebels contend that a large part of the loyalist army has been destroyed, but admit that their own casualties were heavy. The rebel right wing is operating on the Urgel Plain, and is driving the loyalists clear of the LeridaTarragona road. The extreme right wing, further south, captured Vinaixa. 25 miles from Tarragona. ATTITUDE OF LOYALISTS FIGHT TO THE DEATH BARCELONA, Jan. 7. (Received Jan 8, at 10 p.m.) “The fight is to the death. The hour has come for a supreme effort.” declares Senor Comorera, Catalan Minister of Economy, while urging general mobilisation to despatch all armed, forces to the front. A rpessage from Burgos states that the rebels, after occupation of the loyalist trench systems east of Balaguer, are endeavouring to advance in the face of desperate opposition towards Mongay and Vimbodi. BOMBING INQUIRY COMMISSION’S REPORT GENEVA, Jan. 7. (Received Jan. 8, at 11 p.m.) The League published a report of the Bombing Inquiry Commission from Spain, which reiterates that many towns attacked, notably Tarragona, did not contain military objectives. The commission urges that this magnificent old town, with its historic cathedral, should not be damaged any more. CREW OF LOYALIST CRUISER TO BE REPATRIATED GIBRALTAR, Jan. 8. (Received Jan. 8. at 11.50 p.m.) The ship’s company of the Jose Luis Dies will be repatriated to either loyalist or rebel Spain, as desired. When the offer was made known to them they shouted as one man, “Death to the traitor Franco and his foreign invaders.” THE MAILBAG INCIDENT INQUIRY TO BE OPENED (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, Jan. 6. Mr O. St. C. O’Malley and Sir Wasey Sterry have already had a preliminary meeting in London, and the mailbag inquiry will be begun at the earliest possible moment after their arrival at St, Jean de Luz. Mr O’Malley will leave London tomorrow, and will reach St. Jean de Luz on Sunday. ■ Sir Wasey Sterry will leave London early next week, and Mr Jerram will proceed to St. Jean de Luz during the week-end. At the time when information was first received concerning the mailbag incident Mr Golding was in France, and as soon as he heard of the matter he returned to Spain. The Foreign Office states that in order to remove any apprehensions which might still exist, it should be made clear that there is no question of any British diplomatic mailbag having been involved in the recent incident at Irun, and that the courier service by which the British agent at Burgos—under an arrangement agreed upon between the British Government and the Burgos authorities—communicates with the Foreign Office is in no way affected. The inquiry will be concerned with the local arrangements by which official correspondence or other matter was carried from the Vice-consulate at San Sebastian to the British Embassy at St. Jean de Luz. IRON ORE FOR ITALY LONDON. Jan. 7. (Received Jan. 8. at 9 p.m.) The Daily Telegraph’s Rome correspondent says it has been reported that General Franco is arranging to send to Italy 45.000 tons of iron ore from Bilbao and Santander between now and June.