STALEMATE STILL

Evening Post, Issue 29, 3 August 1936, Page 10

STALEMATE STILL

THE SPANISH WAR

TROTSKY IN MADRID

SERVICES OFFERED

SUPPLIES OF RUSSIAN GOLD

United Press Association—By Electric Telagrapli—Copyright. . (Received August 3, 1.30 p.m.)", | LONDON, August 2. > The stalemate .in the civil war continues, with an advantage trending to the Government. The "Sunday Chronicle's" Madrid correspondent says that several Russian agitators went to Spain in Russian oil tankers carrying gold, not oil. Among them was Leon Trotsky, who is now in Madrid and has place*1 1 his services at the disposal of the (Vverninent, and Bela Kun, organiser of the Hungarian Bolshevik regime. LOYALISTS CONSOLIDATING. The loyalists are consolidating their forces around Saragossa, whosa occupants are in a precarious situation owing to water and electricity being cut off. A loyal column marching on. the city from Catalonia annihilated two rebel cavalry detachments near Caspe after a fierce battle. The Government controls the northeastern coast from Irun to Bilbao, thus cutting off the sources of the rebels* supplies from the sea. Loyal aeroplanes destroyed two rebel munition trains on the railway at Valladolid and at Medinaceli, on the Guadarrama front, and continued their raid to the north-west, bombing Segovia and Valla'dolid, while in the passes loyalists drove insurgents back four miles. Many rebel deserters surrendered. This was hailed in a radio broadcast from Madrid as an enormous triumph. REBEL COMMUNICATIONS CUT. Loyalists who marched from Malaga to Granada have occupied Loja, on the railway line to the cepvt-1 rf..t--n "73----vince, cutting off the rebel communications between Granada and Cordoba, and strengthening the Government ■position in Jaen, and hampering GenI eral Franco's plan of cutting the loyal- | ist communications between, the southiem areas and Madrid. Refugees.assert that Loja at an earlier stage was the ! scene of a wholesale massacre by I mobs of armed peasants, incited by I criminals from Malaga, who extermin,ated the Civil Guards and burnt the I principal buildings. I The insurgents 'at La Linea sent delegates to Gibraltar to inform Senor Jaime Fernandez, the pilot of a Government flying-boat who was forced to descend at Gibraltar after bombing Algeciras. that unless he and" his crewsurrenders his family, who are'now, under arrest, will be executed immediately. The British authorities at Gibraltar have' detained Fernandez's aeroplane, engine trouble having prevented it leaving British waters. ... THE ITALIAN AEROPLANES. General Franco's staff-major in. Morocco. Colonel Armada, states that the Italian aeroplanes came to Morocco in order to repatriate Italian citizens, but he does jnot explain why the machines were so numerous nor why they carried machine-guns.'. The airmen who camo down were allowed to attend, the funeral of their compatriots \vh<» were killed when they crashed. The survivors will be charged with flying unregistered machines, with flying over French territory, and with carrying war material. -. ;...:, Foul-British aeroplanes which the French authorities detained at Bordeaux while:en route to.Lisbon, fearing that they would fail in to tne hands of the Spanish rebels, have been returned to England. The letter of "British Airways, London" was painted out on the sides of the machines. The aerodrome. superintendent says it would not have been' playing the game to send, the■ aeroplanes to Lisbon after promising France that they would be returned to England. A British squadron in eastern' Spanish waters ' under Rear-Admiral Max Horton consists of H.M.S. Repulse, H.M.S. London, H.M.S. Devonshire, and ten destroyers. . ■ BRITISHERS IN PERIL. The "Sunday Dispatch" says that Sir Henry Chilton, the British. Ambassador, was instructed to leave San Sebastian for Hendaye with his staff. The party made five attempts to leave San Sebastian in " motor-cars flying Union Jacks, but ran into a fierce bombardment when the rebels were shelling Los Pasajes, the defenders replying. They were forced to return. Later the rebels prevented Sir Henry '---.r-nrt, and pccordingly ;Mr. Tom Dupree, an attache, swam half a mile un^er fire to a French gunboat, which communicated with the British destroyer Kempenfelt, which picked up the party.. A Gibraltar message states that a Spanish torpedo boat not flying an ensign entered Algeciras harbour. Ii is believed that it has surrendered to - the rebels. Madrid had a day of joy when tw* regiments 4 of infantry and cavalry arrived from Valencia and marched past the Ministry of War to the great Puerta de Sol Square, where they were reviewed. Around the square 30,000 wildly excited citizens cheered continuously, raising their clenched fists in the anti-Fascist salute. 'After the troops came: detachments of the workers' militia, including innumerable women, some of whom- were wearing rough uniform overalls white others scarlet blouses. The happiness of the crowds was largely due to a Government decree of a 50 per cent.. reduction in rents and a moratorium on all arrears. • LOYALIST SUCCESS. A rebel column which1 has been holding Oviedo since the outbreak of the revolt attempted to fight its way out and assist the rebels besieged at Gijon, five miles away. Loyal miners attacked them, using dynamite, and the rebels'broke and fled, closely pursued by the miners, who captured part of the town. Looting is continuing at Malaga, Ronda, and Alhama, the most active participants being bands of youngsters of both sexes, who incessantly molest foreigners to an accompaniment of the wildest language and blasphemies. Refugees from Almiera say that the town is now under Government control and is at present quiet, but the town has been greatly damaged, and all churches and convents destroyed. Hundreds of Fascists were executed