FATE OF MADRID

Evening Post, Issue 30, 4 August 1936, Page 10

FATE OF MADRID

AGAIN IN BALANCE

GUADARRAMA STRUGGLE

ARMS TO SPAIN

BRITAIN'S REPLY

United ■ Press Association—By Electric Teto-

crapli—Copyright.

(Received August 4, 1.40 p.m.)

LONDON, August 3. Before launching fresh offensives on a large scale, bolh sides in the Spanish war are waiting for reinforcements, which are "increasingly becoming available, though the Government in front of Guadarrama is chiefly benefiting.

The impression prevails in Madrid that the issue of the civil war depends upon the fate of the capital, which is again in the balance with the inception of the second Guadarrama struggle. .

The principal activities at present are confined to North-eastern Spain, in the adjoining provinces of Huesca and Saragossa. The capital of Saragossa remains the crucial point in this arena. It is the most strongly fortified military position in Spain, and its fate will decide the fate of Madrid and therefore of the whole Peninsula. FIERCE FIGHTING. The fighting in the vicinity of Sara.gossa has been very fierce. The Government won the battle for Caspesee, where corpses served as parapets for both sides. Colonel Sandino, the Loyalist commander, reports the bombing of a rebel nest at Quinto, immediately south of Pina, the railway station being destroyed and . the line blown up. Another Government column approached Huesca after silencing the rebel guns with artillery and aircraft, but the insurgents entrenched themselves and with machine-guns and trench mortars are vigorously replying to the bombardment from the strategic point of Monte de Aragon, overlooking the town. General Queipo de Llano, the rebel commander at Seville, declares that one of General Mola's columns has reached Torrelodones, •15 miles from Madrid, on which a force from the south is closing, while his own men have occupied Ayamb'nte, 25 miles west of Huelva, and also Sanlucar de Barrameda, 20 miles north of Cadiz, but he Had previously made similar claims which events discounted. Two hundred volunteers of various nationalities have reached Barcelona from France to enlist in the Government militia. BAD WEATHER IN THE NORTH. The weather has stopped all fighting on the extreme northern front, fog reducing the visibility to a few yards, making the mountain tracks unusable. The Spanish Government continues to send air cargoes of gold to France. They are reported to be for the purchase of aeroplanes and munitions, but the Foreign Minister, Senor Delbos, still insists that there shall be no intervention.

Urgent telephonic consultations have been exchanged by members of the British Cabinet concerning the French Note suggesting united action against the export of arms to Spain. Britain's answer, indicating readiness to agree that there shall be no dispatch of arms ,from Great Britain to Spain, will shortly be sent to Paris.

A Belgian Cabinet committee, in view of large orders being received from the loyalists and from "the rebels for arms, has decided to create an export licence system. "

Funds are being collected at meetings throughout Russia to assist the Spanish loyalists.

A- French' Cabinet ..communique issued on August 1 announced that France was inviting Britain and Italy to participate in a Mediterranean Powers' agreement not to export arms to either side in Spain. It added that : France had hitherto strictly observed her decision not to authorise the export of arms to Spain even in connection with contracts existing before the civil \yar.. The fact that one Government had furnished war material to the rebels obliged France to reserve freedom to reconsider her decision. The. Government had a double task in pre'Vfirtting an international dispute and maintaining friendly relations with the Government of Spain, which' is fighting .to re-establish order. The Government hoped for a rapid Mediterranean agreement which would later be extended to all Powers.