TRAIL OF DEATH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 February 1939, Page 5

TRAIL OF DEATH

EXTENDING FROM SPAIN TO FRANCE PLANES RAINING DEATH. ANNIHILATION OF WEARY REFUGEES. LONDON, February 6. The Figueras correspondent of the “Daily Herald” says that a great trail of death runs to France. One hundred and fifty bombing planes have been swiftly annihilating weary refugees and retreating loyalists. < Figueras is a great cemetery. The hospital has been demolished and the railway station is a shambles with 300 dead. The river is full of bodies. The Le Perthus correspondent of the “Daily Herald” says that squads of 15 to 30 bombers, attacking simultaneously and surpassing even the horrors of Guernica, destroyed a dozen refugeecrowded villages.

The Perpignan correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says that rebel aeroplanes by night and day are bombing refugees en route from Gerona to Figueras.

When Seodeurgel fell the nationalists marched 150 officers and men into the square and machine-gunned them as anarchists. Many hours of street fighting preceded the fall of Gerona, the troops blowing up the bridges as they retreated.

The Le Perthus correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says that the 117th Loyalist Brigade, which tried to stem the rebel advance to Berga, is now falling back to Puigcerda. The Anarchist Derruti column is also retreating thither after the fall of Seodeurgel.

Twelve thousand loyalist troops are without munitions and almost without food, cut off in the triangle between Andorra, Seodeurgel and Sort. THREAT TO MINORCA ITALY’S NEXT OBJECTIVE? LONDON, February 6. The Rome correspondent of “The Times” says that there are signs that Minorca will be the next objective in the Spanish venture. The majority of the Italian air force based on Majorca flew over Minorca on Saturday dropping leaflets calling on the population to surrender. REFUGEES IN FRANCE LONDON, February G. It is estimated that France has already taken at least 85,000 refugees. Dressing stations have been established all along the frontier. The Paris correspondent of the /'Daily Telegraph” says that the International Child Refugees Committee is increasing the number of children to be fed from 60,000 to 000,000.