REBEL THRUST

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19107, 31 August 1936, Page 8

REBEL THRUST

LARGE-SCALE OFFENSIVE BOMBING PRELIMINARY STRUGGLE FOR MADRID PRECARIOUS EXISTENCE (Elec. To). Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Aug. 31. 2 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. 30. The insurgents in Spain are still unable to advance,towards Madrid from Giiiwlarrama, where 30 rebels were killed and 60 were wounded in an engagement at Bailiatoria.

The bbmbing of Madrid is apparently j tlie, beginning of a large-scale rebel offensive from (lie south., and from the west, the earlier objective being lo relieve the besieged city of Toledo. ... Tlie Valencia correspondent ot The j Times, a fter describing the precarious 'nature of existence in Madrid, says that while butchery will ensue if the rebels capture the. city, it, is meanwhile, conducting a, butchery, of its own. The correspondent gives details of clandestine executions, as a result of which early pedestrians see corpses in the 'streets and the river, some being flung out of passing cars in broad daylight. A deputation of Republican Socialists, after a series of inurdets in. a model, iprison, begged the British Minister, Mr.' |G.; : A. Ogilvin-Forbes,'.to intervene. He motored to the Cabinet’s battle headquarters and was admitted. What passed will make interesting history. CHANCE FOR. REPUBLIC

Meanwhile, it will soon be shown whether the Government, can retrieve tho rapicllv-slipping situation, or is impotent,. There is just a chance of saving the Republic from foundering: The coming week may lie critical. General Franco s drive on Madrid from the Estrcmadiira region was attended with minor success to-day, including the capture of villages along the Tagus. His regulars and Moors are supported by armoured cars, tanks and aeroplanes and also by tho columns which left Seville and Cordoba for the north before Cordoba was completely surrounded by the Government forces, who already had assaulted it 11 times unsuccessfully. A loyalist battalion is leaving Madrid to oppose General Franco before be raises the siege at Toledo.

Loyalists, with aeroplanes and militia, routed a, rebel column endeavouring to raise the siege of Eucsca, one of the key cities of the north-east, which the loyalists had been attacking since August 11. The. rebels left guns and ammunition and prisoners in the hands of the victors, who now are at tlie gates of the city.

The lull continues on the Irun front, whpre German anti-Nazi emigres have formed a. loyalist .volunteer detachment named the Thaelmann column, after the imprisoned Communist leader. At Majorca, -tlie rebels are reported to have captured and shot M. Guy de Traverse, a correspondent of the Paris journal, L’tilLransigeant, who landed with the loyalists...'. ,