A LULL IN SPAIN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 252, 5 August 1937, Page 5

A LULL IN SPAIN

COUNTRYSIDE A WILDERNESS. AFTER FIGHTING IN TERUEL AREA. INSURGENTS CUT OFF RETREAT. (United Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, August 4. The Salamanca correspondent of “The Times” says that Nationalist Spain has lulled after the storm over Brunete, where not even a flicker of civil life is returning. General Varela’s troops are consolidating the position they recaptured with a view to rendering impossible a repetition of the Government force’s surprise attacks. The situation round Madrid has been little changed by the fighting last month. Insurgent columns in operation on the Teruel front entered Cuenca Province, but do not intend to advance in force, contenting themselves with cleaning up and cutting off the retreat of the loyalists, 350 of whom have surrendered. The whole countryside west of Teruel is a. -wilderness of deserted camps. The bridges are blown up and roads are impassable owing to the wrecked lorries. The villages are deserted, the villagers hiding in the pine woods.

WITHDRAWAL OF VOLUNTEERS. RUSSIA TO RECONSIDER MATTER (Received This Day, 10.5 a.m.) LONDON, August 4. It is understood that Russia is willing to reconsider her refusal to grant General Franco belligerent rights until all volunteers, including Moroccans are withdrawn, but she will insist on Italy and Germany definitely agreeing to the principle of withdrawal of volunteers and fulfilment of the British condition that belligerent rights will not be granted until a substantial number of volunteers are withdrawn. It was reported from Paris that the Foreign Minister (M. Yvon Delbos) postponed his holiday to-day in order to appeal to M. Suritz (Russian Ambassador) to urge the Soviet to modify its declared policy on the withdrawal of volunteers from Spain. M. Delbos took a firm line, declaring that France could not support the Soviet view that the Moroccans serving under General Franco are foreign volunteers like the Italians and Germans.

NO MODIFICATION OF ATTITUDE. SOVIET EMBASSY STATEMENT. \ ■ (Received This Day, 12.25 p.m.) LONDON, August 4. The Soviet Embassy at London states that the report that Russia is prepared to modify her attitude regarding nonintervention is without foundation. ATTACK AND COUNTER-ATTACK. LONDON, August 3. The insurgents launched a determined attack around Carabanchel, southwest of Madrid, which reports that Government troops counter-attacked, driving out General Franco’s men from several positions. The Brit;sh steamer Marion Moller, which has been ten days waiting outside Santander succeeded in making Gijon with lights out, while the rebel cruiser Almirante Cervera was cruising nearby.