REPORTS IN CONFLICT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 November 1938, Page 5

REPORTS IN CONFLICT

FIGHTING ON THE RIVER EBRO IMPORTANT SUCCESS CLAIMED BY REBELS. THE REPUBLICAN RETREAT. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. LONDON. November 5. A message from Saragossa states that, after a week of bitter fighting to drive the Republicans across the Ebro. General Franco’s forces claim to have captured two bridegheads. They claim to have inflicted heavy casualties and to have taken 6000 Republican prisoners in five days. The Republicans, on the other hand, claim that they have fallen back according to plan and without loss. The right wing of the Nationalist forces has reached the banks of the Ebro in the neighbourhood of Pinell, four miles south-east of Gandesa. The Hendaye correspondent of “The Times” says that most of the Republicans made a precarious crossing of the bridges over the river under steady shellfire, in addition to a heavy bombardment from the air. ALLEGED CRUELTY. TREATMENT OF BASQUES. PARIS, November 5. The Basque Government accuses General Franco of continuing the execution of Basque prisoners. Unparalleled cruelty allegedly marks their treatment in gaols and labour camps and many are dying as the result of it. Three hundred women political prisoners are crowded into cells intended to accommodate one hundred. NORTH SEA CAPTURE. REBEL CRUISER TAKES SHIP TO EMDEN. BERLIN November 5. The Spanish Nationalist auxiliary cruiser, Ciudad de Alicante, captured the Spanish merchantsman Rio Mara in the North Sea. The crew were taken prisoners and the vessel towed to Emden.