STRICKEN SPAIN

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19945, 23 July 1936, Page 7

STRICKEN SPAIN

PIERCE FIGHTING REPORTED. NAVAL BATTLE IN PROGRESS SHELLS FALL IN GIBRALTAR. BRITISH STEAMERS ATTACKED BY AIRMAN. A connected story of the position in Spain indicates that the fate of the Government is still in the balance. Heavy fighting is reported, women being in the fighting ranks. A naval battle is in progress in the Straits of Gibraltar and shells have fallen on British territory. Two British steamers have been attacked by a rebel airman who mistook them for Government vessels.

i FURIOUS STRIFE. DEOISIVE BATTLE AWAI‘I‘ED. WOMEN ”IN FIGHTING BANKS. United Press Assn—Else. Tel. Copyright. (Received July 23, 1.45 pm.) LONDON, July 22. At Madrid the Government and revolutionaries strive turlouely for the mastery by sea, land. and air, while civil war flames to its climax and a decisive battle to being still awaited. British, French and American warships are on the alert at various points in order to safeguard their nationals. incidentally Gibraltar came undc‘r fire, but no damage was done. Each of tile adversaries still claims ascend—ullL‘Y. tleneral Quiepo De Ilano declares that. a triumph for the national re’volution is nearly accomplished, willie the Government issues sanguine prophecies of success. The. Government, is, however. in a. precarious situation in the north, the rebels having constituted a rival Government at Pamplona, the capital of Navarre, and their leader, General Mole, desires to reduce Irun, San sebastian, and Barcelona. by famine rather than assault. Leader's Death Reported. His forces, which are reported to number 40,000 are advancing in two columns. one of which came in eon-l-uct with the‘ Government troops on the Buitrago heights. 36 miles north of Madrid. l-lis ultimatum demanding the Government's resignation has been followed by reports of his death in action near Pampiona, and his rear—guard is threatened by Government troops in lorries. crammed with armed men and women. The women, wearlng trousers, and Army boots, and ahlrto and armed with revolvers, are blowlng up bridges, and barrloadlng the roads to Impede the advance of his hlndmost soldiers, who are expected to rally on Burgos to await reinforcements. General .\iola's death, it‘ confirmed, must Icheek the ada’ancc of his forces. Meanwhile l‘rcs‘h conflicts at Bar—celona resulted in 600 dcaihs, a new revolt breaking out after Government control seemed to be restored. Government. aeroplanes bombed the Lean aerodrome and destroyed eight. aeroplanes. Anarchy reigns in northern Catalonia. where the Gove‘rnment extrc~ mists, armed with weapons, captured from the rebels are destroying churches and public buildings, They control the entire province, except 560 De Urgel, whence their sympathisers have been driven into Andorra by the rebels. Flight of Refugees. 'l‘he Barcelona correspondent of the Times ieiegraphing from Perplgnun (France). describes a flight with French refugees in motor—cars, and charahancs running; the gauntlet- of ambushes and barricades. The. [usi—iix'es le'arned that the Government torres had shot. a rebel leader, Genrrni Hay, who scnirnrrtl in (hiaih the iii“[lil])lii‘tlil martyrs. iiiliitains Gillan and ‘liernantlr‘z in 1030. Churches and Chapels Burnt. Forty rhapris, rhurrhcs and runw‘nis hmc hern hnrnl at \’irh ”more. .\ runrerlril signal on Sunday launched the illi't'C duys' lighting Hi Barcelona. ’i‘ih- Hurrrnnicnl troops gradually \\l'l‘l‘ xii-loriuns. hul illuilF-il lili‘ l‘l‘iNi. ilcnr‘ral (ionic'ii. siirri‘inlrrri and urged his followers in ill) MI lin‘)‘ ilri-linl‘il lo \irhl, (Hill hlmnl up in i'in-lhvr shill—“il—icr in-‘l'urr' the Huu‘rinni‘nl. rinpinying iminhing aha-rail and artillery, ri'nshcd ihrir resistance. Defence of Madrid. The Gun-crnmrni‘s dispositions for tiny defence of .\liltll'iti, on which 1110 robots are admin-inn: i‘runi i'anilviuna and Saragossa in lln- north and Cadiz and .v\l:—"«‘rira.~~ in the south, inrlniic the i'urinaiiun oi eonnniliccs and ronirul or \\'iil‘iiCi‘S‘. llisirihnlrii in the city and suburbs there are 1.300 cars for [l.ilrnl~', and ‘20!) in i'est‘ru' guarded by nnichinc—guns. .\lany girls :irrnnipany ihc patrolswho are lint-11in; snipers' lli'ii\iiit's from the, rnni's, .\ininr lorries loft with several thousand mililin i'ur F:il‘.‘|;.{n~’>.l, and ilnulin'r lulwli rulinnn is .lii-Vlii in run, \vruw un .".Il'.l_‘_‘l\.\\.i iruni t'..ui.iluni:i. 'l'hh llrilish i,ii|i.~i|i is inqliii'inr inl-i lhv lili]ii'i<iiiiilil‘iii .‘ii \lmiriil lli' lhi‘ t'ili'l'l'hliiilliit‘iii til' iin- liaii)‘ 'l‘vlvaizwh. Mr linwlanil \\inn. :1 sun ui' [mini >|_ tls\\'i|ili. A fierce navel battle has been raging in the Straits of Gibraltar. Warships aided by three Government. acre-planes, bombed and machne—gunned the rebel barracks at La Linea which responded, several shells falling on Gibraltar Harbour and near the Devil’s Gap battery, causing the British troops ‘ to man the guns on the upper ‘ rock.

A Ghostly Situation. Refugees from Malaga and Murhella describe the situation as ghastly. the principal streets being completely burned out. Three aeroplanes bombed the San Itoque barracks which is held by rebels. Four submarines guard the harbour. A rebel airmen, mistaking them for Spanish supply ships, bombed the London tanker British Endeavour, and bombed and machinequnned the Liverpool steamer Mahratta. There were no casualties though steel fragments struck the tanker. 1 A shell tired from a warship against ‘rebel war planes exploded ashore near the Rock Hotel. causing a small landslide. Aircraft liew over the ‘HOGIi, and turned back towards ’tlcnia amid a hail ot‘ shrapnel which cxpiodcii over the naval cinema and air turn-o ‘ quarters. i Fight for the Capital. i Reside contact at iiuitrago Heights :1 I'9th column is rcportod to ho tl. action with Government troops if) miles from Madrid. This means that iiho battle for the capital has actually ibogun. General )loia‘s troops are well .trained and equipped with motorised ‘artiiicry, whereas the defending arm.“ of 165,000 includes many inexperienced civilians. The Government claims to have cup—iurcd Guada. La Jara. Toledo, Builrago. La (iranja, and .\lmanza. ’l‘hcir forces are believed to be carrying out a strategic retreat. from Navarro, which is preponderantly pro—Fascist. L;aptain .\loia. :1 brother of the rebel connnander. committed suicide at Barcelona. lie Llano reports that three Govern—ment warships which were bombarding liadiz have burn sunk by rebels, but this is probaly due to their departure for Mlentc .\layorga. between Aigcciras and La Linea in search of fuel which was denied them at tiihraltar. The Spanish tanker Uphir, supplied the Government warships with oil fuel. but the Jamie Primiero requires 1500 tons of coal. which cannot be obtained. , A correspondent of the Times It Tangier says that a wounded officer and four men were landed from the Jamie Primiero, which afterwards departed. They state that the crew killed all the other officers and mastered the ship which Joined the Government forces. LAST DEOISIVE BLOW. GOVEiiNMEN'I‘ PREPARATIONS. CLAIMS BY Tilt] REBELS. United Press Assni—Elec. Tel. Conynnl MADRID, July 21. The Government, after its victory in the capital, was preparing the last decisive thiow against the rebels. Strong loyal forces, including the Air Force, were ready to more nolth to meet General .\loia‘s rebel force on route from Burgos and Navarre. It was thought that a clash might occur in miles from the capital. tiencrai Franco, ill an interview at Ccuta, Morocco. stated: “(ltlt‘ plan it; prococdinu with mathematical accuracy. \\'c are now preparing operations to annihilate thc irsscr ccntres -rn tlomn‘iunist machinations. 0111' anore—nient has romp at. thc right time be—cause conditions on certain \‘.‘arships innc stinwn hnw intcnsr is Llonnntlnis‘: propaganda anion): tln- naval l'urccs and how 11c1'cssar)' “as our sutt‘t. cncrsctic :iwtiun. llthcrwnw civilisation would luau: sul‘lcrcd a scrious set—lini'k.” statement to British Empire. Thc Spanish tiovcrinncnt iii-tlii‘)‘ broadcast a slnlcnn-nt in English in the British Empirc and to the [nit-3d Stairs saying that the danger of a 111iiita1‘y dictatorship 1111): be considered to hr. (Iver. 'l‘hc Government in a contulnl‘liquc says it is estinnttcd that. 500 people were killed and 3000 wounded in the lighting at iiarcrtona. 'i‘hc tlnnnnunisl newspaper .\lundc ('ihrcl‘n states that till rebel inflict-aw and LN”) other ranks wcro found dead \\llt‘ll thc Montana barracks were cap-tum-I|. The Spanish i'ronticr guards at licndayc Intro joincd the rchcls. - PROTECTION OF AMERICANS. A l'iiliti.\t"i‘itli\‘;\li\' .\nn'u. ltl‘lSl‘A'l'Lill Ht“ \\'AliSlili’s‘. lulu-1i l'rcss Elfin-«Elev. Tel. Copyrilrhl. \\’.\.<[ll.\'(i'i'U.\', July L'i. 'l‘ho l'nitcd States battleship nitim hinnzt and tho rrnisrr Quincy haulwvu nrtlcrctt to prurcr-l t.» .\‘pnl:i~h \vutcrs to prnicct llli‘ timn .\iilt‘l‘il'.lll limminnis in Stud and t'\':ii'|l.t|t‘ tticm. ‘l'l'lllll the country it in'."<~',(i). 1 ’t‘hc .\‘taio i>l-1m"1111c:.t tl“s€i'liil'< trc mine as purciy prt-cnulionuri', I']. 1p tIII~ prrscnt all [\Jll-llllil-i .tt'c 't'li-J."Ltll _ Lu in: sale.