BASQUES FORCED TO RETREAT

Southland Times, Issue 23208, 25 May 1937, Page 7

BASQUES FORCED TO RETREAT

REBELS ADVANCE FIVE MILES FRANCO’S CONDITIONS FOR SURRENDER (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received May 24, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 24. The Bilbao correspondent of The Daily Telegraph considers that the Basque resistance outside Bilbao is broken. The Bilbao correspondent of The Daily Mail, giving details of the rebel advance northwards, says that General Emilio Mola forced the Basques five miles back on an eight-mile front, capturing the last loyalist position from which machine-gun fire could be directed on his forces. The Basques,

who were outwitted and outmanoeuvred, lost many dead and wounded, and 200 were taken prisoner. The rebels assert that the loyalists lost 1600 killed and wounded and that 600 were captured. The Bilbao correspondent of The Times says that four companies of rebels, supported by 96 aeroplanes, advanced further towards Bilbao after bitter fighting at the week-end, sustaining losses which necessitated reinforcement by two companies. _ Later the Basques reformed their line after the loss of Bernagoita and other villages. The San Sebastian correspondent of The Daily Telegraph says that despite the Basque Government’s official denial, negotiations foi the conditional surrender of Bilbao took place between Basque officials and General Franco, who proposed the conditions for surrender. Loyalist messages announce rebel bombing of the open towns of Pamplona and Valladolid, resulting in the deaths of many women and children. “We want to return to the comparative peate of the front line,” declared troops who are on leave, after their arrival from several months in the trenches near Jarama, where a stalemate has developed. They expected to find amusement and good food in the capital, but encountered one of the heaviest bombardments for weeks, in which 100 were killed, and the food was greatly inferior to that supplied to the troops.

CAPTURED GERMANS REPRIEVED EXCHANGE FOR RUSSIANS , PROPOSED (Received May 24, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 24. The German airmen, Captain Kienzie and Lieutenant Schulzeplanck, have been reprieved by the Basques until May 27, as negotiations are in progress for their exchange for two Russian aviators - who are in rebel hands. The Bilbao correspondent of The Times says that Wandel, another German pilot recently, captured, will be tried. If he is also condemned, and Captain Kienzie and Lieutenant Schulzeplanck are not reprieved, it is expected that they will be shot together about the middle of the week. LOYALISTS OPPOSED TO TRUCE ITALIAN DISBELIEF IN NON-INTERVENTION LONDON, May 23. The Spanish Foreign Minister (Senor Jose Giral) told the British United Press that his Government had decided against any truce to facilitate the withdrawal of volunteers, holding that nonSpaniards, including Moors, must be withdrawn without an armistice.

Senor Giral added that Germany and Italy had violated non-intervention, the Italians by entering Andalusia and the Germans by sending planes and pilots during the night. Dr Virgino Gayda, in an article in Giornale d’ltalia, declares that nonintervention has broken down, and he quotes, apparently from official sources, numerous incidents of the arrival of tanks, arms and chemicals from France and the United States.