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THE CHINA MAIL, JUNE 21, 1937.
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REBEL ENTRY INTO BILBAO Banks Looted: Bridges Blown Up: Heavy Damage
EYE-WITNESS'S STORY OF END OF LONG SIEGE
Hendaye, To-day.
The entry of General Franco's troops into Bil- bao is described by a Spanish journalist who enter- ed with the first company.
The journalist declared that as the troops came down the streets there was hardly a soul to be seen. ONLY A FEW SPECTATORS PEERED FURTIVELY FROM THE WINDOWS, BUT AS THEY REACHED THE ARENAL THEY FOUND A LARGER CROWD, WHO GAVE THE VIC- TORIOUS TROOPS A GREAT OVATION, MANÝ GIVING THE FASCIST SALUTE.
The Presidencia, Town Hall and Į The dead bodies of several nur Ministry of the Interior were were found in cloisters. They had handed over without bloodshed. been abused.
Gradually people gathered in the
centre
of the city in seething masses, while planes looped the loop overhead. Banks and business houses were soon decorated with the Nationalist colours.
It is not yet known how many Basque militiamen were taken prisoner in Bilbao itself but it is estimated that 18,000 have been captured since the beginning of the engagement.
Towards evening, military lor-. ries began to arrive with bread, food and wine for revictualling the city, while the water supply, which had been cut off for four days, was again established.
General Franco issued orders to avoid all reprisals.
HITLER'S CONGRATULATIONS Material damage. to the city is less than expected, apart from six bridges blown up by anarchists.
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A message from Berlin says that Herr Hitler has telegraphed General Franco congratulating him on the capture of Bilbao.-Reuter.. TRIUMPHAL ENTRY
Town Divided Into
Two Sections
Bilbao, To-day. Following the capture of the Basque capital by the insurgent advance guards the main body of General Franco's troops made triumphal entry into the city yes- terday.
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Thousands of refugees, who had fled from Bilbao before its capture, took the same road as the troops. They were plodding their way back to their homes.
The town itself bears many signs of the state of terror that has existed for the past weeks. The bridges had been blown up, cutting the town into two separate halves, but an emergency structure had been placed in position for pedestrians.
BANKS LOOTED Several banks had been looted
worth one family losing valuables 4,000,000 pesetas.
According to the statement of a bank director, the eleven months of war had cost the Basque Govern- ment 600,000,000 pesetas.
A police report says that 2,000, including 500 in jails and prison ships, had been done to death during the siege.
The iron works and other fac-
Woman Commissar
Arrested
Moscow, To-day.
The woman Commissar for Social Security in the Crimean Republic, Alexandra Zumbilova, has been arrested on a charge of being the leader of a group which embezzled public funds for the use of the Trotskyists. -Reuter.
FRENCH ARREST SHIP
A French warship on patrol has detained the Spanish ship "La Jeune" off Vendres. Twenty-one volunteers were on board.
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The Republican positions near Madrid were subjected to a severe bombardment yester- day, and the insurgents claim the destruction of several Gov- ernment ammunition dumps..
The Moscow radio announced yesterday that Leningrad is mak- ing preparations for the arrival of 1,500 Basque children who are be- ing shipped to the Soviet. The children will be sent in special Trans- to the Crimea.
victory was given to the late Gen- eral Mola, who planned the drive Crash before he could see the fruits'
trains but was killed in an aeroplane Ocean.
of his schemes.
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The first troops coming down from the hills occupied the fac- tories on the right bank of the! Nervion River, the waterworks and the University buildings, after which they pushed on to the Bu- burb of Deusto.
HEIGHTS STORMED
Salamanca, Yesterday.
It is claimed in San Sebastian that General Franco's troops gained further success yester- day in their encircling move of Bilbao.
After intensive artillery pre- BARACALDO OCCUPIED
paration the rebels stormed the At the same time, several com~ panies of the 1st Brigade had bat-Basque positions at San Bernabe
and Chaccli
them Hill, giving tered their way forward until they
command of the Nervion estuary. joined forces with the troops of the
The heights of Cabras, 2nd Brigade.
south of Asua, are likewise in the hands of the insurgent troops who are now in a posi- tion to shell the few remain- ing obstacles between them
and Bilbao.
This gave them possession of Spain's biggest iron foundry, at Baracaldo, and from here” they marched directly into Bilbao. While these successful oper- ations were in progress, motorised columns on the coast, assisted by the 6th Brigade, advanced along the Nervion the right bank of
tories in Bilbao are for the most part intact, and the foundries were in operation up to a few days ago, as were the iron ore mines north-from the north, occupying Disierto west of Bilbao.
Adequate quantities of coal àre available 80 that the electricity supply has been restored.
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BASQUE LOSSES
A large munitions factory, with daily output of 40,000 cartridges, will be in working order again shortly.
The Basque forces are re- ported to have lost 50,000 men during the siege of Bilbao. Of 17 battalions sent to reinforce the defenders, *only eight re- main.
Among the Basque leaders who fled from Bilbao was the well- known Separatist, Senor Guecia. MESSAGE TO IL DUCE
General Franco Sends Thanks
Following the fall of Bilbao, Gen- eral Franco sent the following tele- gram to Signor Mussolini:
"At the moment when the Na- tionalists are making their victor- ious entry into Bilbao, along with my greetings I send you the enthu- siastic greetings of the army which is proud to have justified the con- fidence placed by Italy in this great people, and I pray you to convey to His Majesty the best sentiments of the Spanish people and its Gener- alissimo Franco. when you inform him of this success.”
THE FALL
the
RAILWAY WRECKED The retreating Basques, in addi- tion to blowing up the bridges,"
Earlier messages describing destroyed a railway tunnel that had given shelter to a host of men,fall of Bilbao stated that General women and children.
The town's water supply system was also completely wrecked.
Before leaving Bilbao, the Republicans set fire to a depot in which were 200 new cars and trucks.
Churches in Bilbao were for the most part untouched, though some had been despoiled of their go and silver appointments.
Franco's troops, swooping down from the heights on the right bank of the Nervion River, smashed their way into the heart of Bilbao.
At 4 o'clock on Saturday after- noon the official announcement of the fall of the city was flashed from all insurgent radio, stat- tions, which announced "Bilbao again belongs to Spain.”
At the same time credit for the
and Luchano.
CONFUSION IN CITY. Scenes of indescribable confu- sion presented themselves to the nationalists on their entry into the town. Among those who hailed the victors were 1,400 prisonera, who had spent months in jail and now joined the insurgent troops.
captured The insurgents also the village of Lamiaco and the port of Sondica, which they intend using as an air base.
MILITIA DESERTIONS Thursday night saw 100 Basque militia desert to General Franco's lines in the Las Arenas sector and 70 in the Orduna sector.
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With the Bilbao radio station falling into General Franco's hands, the Basques have opened a new transmitting plant which started emissions yesterday four days after the interruption.
The insurgent warships have captured another Republican So far it has not been possible freighter which had left Bilbao ap- to locate the new station.--Trans-
Ocean. parently bound for a French port.
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