BIG OFFENSIVE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 50, 27 January 1938, Page 11

BIG OFFENSIVE

BY SPANISH GOVERNMENT. WITHIN NEXT TWO MONTHS. FOREIGN AID FOR REBELS. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) Received January 27, 8.5 a.m. PARIS, Jan. 26. The newspaper L’Oeuvre asserts that the Government is preparing a big spring offensive to he launched within the next two months. Neutrals from Spain state that Germany and Italy are actively assisting General Franco. Four German destroyers have made their base at Algeciras. Eighty Italian bombers and 15 German seaplanes are concentrated at Majorca.

EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS SATISFACTION IN LONDON. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Jan. 25. News that the first stage in wdiat it is hoped will be extensive exchange of prisoners between the two sides in Spain had been successfully accomplished was received with much satisfaction in London.

As the result of negotiations by Britain and the International Red Cross, the first batch of 41 Basque prisoners, held tinder sentence of death bv the insurgents, was put across the French frontier, while simultaneously 41 held by the Government authorities were also transferred to French territory. It is expected that these transfers will be followed by others and that, this initiative will not be the last of the humanitarian efforts in which British representatives will participate during the Spanish war.

DAMAGE TO WARSHIP.

BRITAIN’S BILL FOR REBELS. LONDON. Jan. 26. .Britain’s £134.500 bill to General Franco for damage to the warship Hunter by a floating mine in May. 1937, has been ignored by Salamanca and a reminder will soon be sent, states the Daily Herald. The sum includes £lO 500 for compensation to the dependants of eight men killed.

INSURGENT OFFENSIVE.

SUCCESS AT TERUEL. . TERUEL, Jan. 26. General Franco’s troops launched an intensive attack on Loyalist positions outside Teruel. Infantry going over the top after artillery and air bombing preparations, succeeded in enlarging the rebel areas in Alfambra Valley and also beyond Teruel in Cuenca Road, near Castralvo, driving out opponents at the bayonet point.

HEAVY CASUALTIES.

RAID ON CEUTA

GIBRALTAR, Jan. 26. Two Loyalist warplanes again bombed Ceuta quays. The raid coincided witht he embarkation of 500 Moors, bound for Algeciras. The bombs inflicted 165 casualties many being killed, and caused damage to the dock and transport. . Air raids on Barcelona resulted in 150 persons being killed and 300 wounded.

NEW ZEALAND ROWERS.

EMPIRE GAMES CREWS,

EIGHT FULLY RECOVERED.

Received January 27 8.5 a.m. SYDNEY, Jan. 26. The New Zealand rowers’ coach (Mr F. H. Ayres) considers that the crew is well forward and fully recovered from tho voyage. He rested Charters to-day and rowed Johnson instead. The eight did light work, rowing one and three-quarter miles at an easy pace and on the finished the last three-quarctrs of a mile hard, starting at 28 and rating to 32. In the afternoon they rowed one and aquarter miles and came back at 28, rowing a good length. There is a noticeable steadiness about their work, the blades being rowed firmly through the water.

The two emergencies rowed in a four-oared boat with two North Shore oarsmen, doing steady work to the two and a-half mile post. The New Zealand sculler (R. Smith) has arrived at Lapstone. He fears his boat will not be finished until tomorrow.

The New Zealand rowing manager and the four-oared crew visited Sydney in the morning and witnessed the pageant, and the four rowed this afternoon. The Australians and Canadians also visited Sydney. The Canadian eight did not row to-day. England rowed twice, but did only light work following the long row yesterday. YACHT RACE. DOMINION BOATS COMPETE. SYDNEY, Jan. 26. Four New Zealand boats, Irina, Vaalele, Manene and Riptide, participated in the international race for 18-footers, but finished in a procession, last among 16 competitors. The race was won by Dee Why, off 3Jmin, by 3min 4sec, with 2sec between second and third.