THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 23, 1989
BARCELONA
FOR
LAST
NATIONALISTS ATTEMPTING AN AERIAL BLOCKADE
Barcelona, To-day. With the Nationalist forces now only fifteen miles from Barcelona, preparations for defence of the city itself are proceeding at an accelerated
pace. Factories and business houses which are not pro- ducing war material or are not connected with the supply of food, will be closed during the week.
All their employees will be used to reinforce the army of civilians now at work on construction of trenches, dug-outs and so on in and around the city.
Citizens in towns and villages Pons Solsona road, with the evident nearer the front are being assigned intention of severing Barcelona's to the same work.
links with France.
ALLEGATIONS OF FRENCH AID
In the southern sector, mean- while, the Nationalists, according to the Burgos radio, have occupied the port of Villa Nuevay, twenty- two miles south-west of Barcelona.
The Nationalist authorities, says Capture of the town of Villa a Burgos despatch, declare Franca, about the same
that distance war material for the Republicans, west of Barcelona, gives the Na- including twenty-two tanks, passed tionalists, says Reuter's correspon- through the frontier towns of Port dent, command of the Panedes re- Vendres, Cerberes and Le Perthus gion, which is agriculturally the on Friday night. richest in Catalonia.
Customs officers in those towns, The leading patrols from the they claim, received Nationalist divisions which en-permit the passage of veloped Igualada are now well be- material. yond the village of Lapobla and are working south-east down
the
River Noya, where a good bridge- head has been secured.
The Republicans were surprised and beat a precipitate retreat with- out dynamiting the bridge.
PREPARES
BATTLE
BRITISH SHIP SUNK IN BARCELONA
London,.To-day.
Several British steamers suf- fered during the repeated Nation- alist air raids on Barcelona yes- terday.
The "African Mariner" is re- ported to have been sunk, While the "Stanholme” was slightly damaged during a morning raid, when fifty bombs were dropped.
Other British vessels hit were the "Seabank Spray" and the "Dover Abbey."-Reuter.
HOPE OF SUCCESS OVER PALESTINE
CAIRO, TO-DAY.
A REPORT FROM PALESTINE THAT THE ARAB DELEGATES. HAVE DECIDED NOT TO GO TO LONDON, IS DENIED BY DR. HUSSEINNI KHALIDI, ONE OF THE DELEGATES, WHO IS A FORMER MAYOR OF JER- USALEM.
He told Reuter: "We are start- ing for London on Tuesday and are
telfullit de Riubregos and Iborra hopeful of success." on the Calaf-Pons highway.
Meanwhile, Nouri Said, accom- The territory southwest of panied by Jémal Huddeini, left Menresa is now the scene of
in-yesterday morning by air for tense fighting the troops having Beirut, where it is understood he advanced from Igualada
north-will endeavour to persuade the wards to engage the Republicans Mufti to agree to the British Gov- defending the northern district. ernment's desire that all Palestine South of Igualada a total of 13 parties, including the opposition villages have been occupied since party, should be represented at the Saturday.
London Conference.
General Yague yesterday continu- The Morrocan Corps under
ed the advance on the Tarragona Vallearca, a town where numerous road to Barcelona, reaching
and large arms factories situated.
are
LEAVING ON TUESDAY
re-
stressed in a communication which It is understood this desire was
was more in the nature of a quest than a definite condition. In the north, Nationalist Brigades
Nouri returns to Cairo as quick- marched towards Igualada on the ly as possible, in order to orders to
enable villa Franca 1oad, meeting
but the delegates to leave on Tuesday little resistance.
for London as arranged.
the
war
FOOD SHORTAGE ·
While the Nationalist net is drawing ever closer, problems of food supply are harrassing the Catalan authorities.
There is a drastic shortage in what is left of the province to the Government of Catalonia, and un- less supplies are forthcoming from abroad, conditions approaching famine may be experienced. ma-
AERIAL BLOCKADE Barcelona has been subjected to incessant air raids, though the pre- sence of Republican fighting chines, which engaged the raiders over the capital, prevented any serious bombing of the city, only a few missiles being dropped the course of ten raids yesterday.
The air battle was a spectacular one, forty. Nationalist and 24 Re- publican planes participating.
lians were killed.
in
The coast road to France is also receiving particular attention from Nationalist bombers.
The shortage is entailing heavy strain on the various inter- national relief organisations in
-Reuter.
Barcelona.-)
RING CLOSING IN
One
hundred
thousand
men,
The Palestine leaders, however,
the
Up to noon, the advance of all troops averaged eight kilometres. do not believe that Nouri will be able to persuade the Mufti to agree to the British request, since Arab Higher Committee has already unanimously opposed the sugges- tion that the opposition parties should be represented at the Lon- don Conference-Reuter.
chiefly peasants who had sought re- fuge in Madrid over a year ago, have now again been evacuated, into the country, where they will be engaged in agricultural work.
BELGIAN CASUALTIES
SIGNIFICANT MÖVE
Of the six thousand volunteers of Belgian nationality in the ranks
Jerusalem, To-day. aof the Republican Spanish troops,
not less than three thousand have Palestine Arab Defence Party (me Ragheb Nasashibi, leader of the been killed, according to the derates) broke his long silence yes- Brussels paper "Metropole". The terday by cabling his cousin who is paper states that so far only 500 acting leader of the party. volunteers have returned to Bel- gium.
Saragossa, To-day. The Nationalist ring about Bar-
INDUSTRY STOPS
All industry and commerce
•
in
of au-
The calle expresses approval the recent parleys" with the thorities concerning representation of the Defence Party at the London conversations.
The fact that the party leader
advis
significant
On the way back to their base, celona is now closing in rapidly, however, the Nationalist planes raided villages in the Barcelona re-
the troops advancing east of gion, in one of which fifteen civi-Igualada having reached a point and around Barcelona are to cease has broken his silence, which ter-
only 25 kilometres from the city, operation to-day, according to a rorism had hitherto made
The line extending north to the message received from that city.able, is regarded as a French frontier has not advanced The Generalidad has issued the de- development-Reuter. far beyond its initial position and cree in order that all men up to 55 it is believed that the operations years of age and all women will be concentrated in the north volunteer may be placed at the dis- who for the next few days until the general position there has been improved. It is believed that the next
objectives will be the im- pórtant railway centres, Solsona and Manresa.
The Nationalists are apparently attempting an air blockade in or der to prevent supplies reaching the city, paying particular atten- tion to the coastal road to France,
WITHIN 15 MILES
to
posal of the military authorities damaged by bombs.
vessel "Charles Neriche". being for work on the defence lines.
chemists, restaurant staff, news- Excepted from the order are
paper publishing staffs and sons engaged in public service or distribution of foodstuffs,
per-
Reports state that National Spanish troops have landed on the Catalan coast near the city of Barcelona and that several coastal As a result of yesterday's ad- The advance beyond Manresa
towns have been already evacuated vances, the Nationalists claim that and Vich will probably lead
and prepared for defence... their front line is now within Gerona which is the capital of the to obey the order will be prosecut-pignan the French authorities are Any concern or persons failing According to messages from Per- fifteen miles of Barcelona at cer- only Catalan province into which tain points.
Franco's troops have not yet pene
fed for offense against the State.strengthening the frontier guard, A Nationalist phalanx of 160,000 trated. The northern army under
The city was bombed eight times several hundred mobile guards men facea the Llobregat River de-General Munoz Grande is advanc- yesterday, the casualties being es- having been rushed to Prades and fences running north-westwards ing on Solsona after having oc-timated at 50 dead and 100 wound-Ceret.
from the coast.
cupied the town of Basella.
INTENSE FIGHTING
ed.
COASTAL LANDING
Garrisons are also being prepar- ed on the frontier for infantry of the 16th Corps area, and troops will be sent there should the situa- Valencia was also subjected to tion become serious as' result of the The army operating farther several air-raids, the British steam-expected food of refugees. Trans- the road to Seodeurgel and the south occupied the towns of Cas-ler "Stanholme" and the French Ocean..'
Progress averaging five miles is also claimed on a 25-mile front from Igualada to Villa Neuva, simultaneously progressing along]