A DOOMED CITY.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13640, 26 August 1937, Page 5

A DOOMED CITY.

FLEEING FROM SANTANDER. REBEL PLANES VERY ACTIVE. United Press Assn.— By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. SANTANDER, August 25. The flight from Santander has begun. The insurgents claim to have captured several Government leaders escaping by car and to have taken 150,000 prisoners and equipment. Sardine boats filled with militiamen and their wives and families are arriving at Bayonne and Araclion from Santander which they say is untenable owing to tons of bombs from the insurgent 'planes. The Italian Navarran brigades are continuing their lightning advance. A Madrid message says shells are dropping every few minutes and an intense bombardment is causing heavy damage and many casualties. A communique announces that the Catalonian Army in a new offensive cut the communications between Saragossa and Huesca. broke through in other id aces, surrounded the enemy in the Quin to sector and aeriall y bombarded insurgent railways, aerodromes and concentrations. IMPORTANT STRATEGIC SUCCESS. LONDON. August 25. The Times Bilbao correspondent says the Navarran brigades, under General Solchaga. entered Torre la Vega, cutting the* main load from Santander westward. Then then passed on, taking a secondary road. Tims the entire Republican forces in the Santander Province are cut off from their only line of retreat. The Nationalists are only II miles from Santander on the western side, while the latest advance by the foreign legionaries from the Burgos road leaves them 13 miles from the city on the south. CABINET FLEEING. ST. JEAN DE LUZ, August 24 The British destroyer Keith has left for Santander to endeavour to pick up members of the Basque Government. including the President, Senor Jose Aquirre, also 17 Nationalist hostages who were taken to Santander when Bilbao fell and any remaining British subjects. The British Embassy at Hendaye was planning the rescue of Britons when it received an appeal from the Salamanca. Government to assist in rescuing the hostages, whom the Basques liad finally agreed to release. They had been., held because they had important connections with insurgent Spain. The hostages are now considered to be in most- grave peril, the Basques admitting that it is no longer possible to protect them from the extremist elements. The Embassy agreed but notified the Basques that it would also take off the Basque guards and the remaining members of the Government Senor Auuirre and others immediately signified their desire to take ml vantage ui tlie opportunity to leave. The insurgent advance on Santander is continuing in all sectors. The Black Flame Brigade lias reached Santa Mandecaya, only 10 miles away. A radio message from Bilbao says that tlie Junta at Santander has sent a message to General Solchaga, the insurgent commander, seeking an armistice.

The insurgents condemned to death Senor Manuel Castro, former Minister of Industry in the Basque Government. and several officers of the Basque army.