1938-12-30 — Page 7

THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER 30, 1938.

Pagè

FRANCO'S TROOPS SMASH BALAGUER DEFENCES

Troops Still Keep Up Offensive After Week

Plains Converted

Into Inferno Of

Shells And Bombs

London, To-day.

That General Franco's offensive, in which 500,000, men are engaged, is proceeding as relentlessly as ever after seven days, is proved by vivid des- criptions of the fighting from Reuter's corres- pondents on both sides.

Reuter's correspondent in Barcelona states that

planes and artillery have transformed the hill-

....

bound plains of Llanos del Urgel, in the south- ern sector, and the Pyrenian foothills, in the

northern sector, into an inferno of shells and

bombs.

General Franco aims at driving

the Republicans from the lime of

the Segre River, where they have held positions since April, and from the Llanos del Urgel plain.

The drive towards Borjas cas, which is an important tions manufacturing centre, the lower Segre, threatens to cut

USUAL DIVERGENCE

London, To-day.

While observers on both sides in

Spain agree on the fierce intensity Blan- of the fighting on what is nearly a 100-mile front, the respective head- muni-quarters accounts of the progress of the battle continue widely diver- gent.

from

General Franco claims successes along the whole of Catalonia's

-COUNTER-

ESPIONAGE IN AMERICA

Washington, To-day.

The Treasury Department an- nounces that the Comm.ssioner for Internal Revenue has ordered .he thousands of the Treasury s investiga.ors in the departments of the various law enforcement agencies to keep a sharp watch on espionage activities.

This is in accordance with Pre- sident Roosevel's recent request for strengthening of America's anti spy defences.-Reuter.

BRITISH INTEREST IN SKODA?

Prague, To-day.

DEMAND FOR FRENCH

AIR DICTATOR

PARIS, TO-DAY.--- DISCUSSING THE FRENCH AIR ESTIMATES IN THE SENATE YESTERDAY, SENATOR DE LA GRANGE WOULD UP CRITICISMS OF THE GOVERNMENT'S AIR ARMAMENT POLICY WITH A DEMAND FOR "A REAL DICTA- TOR TO BUILD UP THE AIR STRENGTH, OF FRANCE.”.

As a member of the Senate's Commission for Aviation, he.com- plained of the low salaries paid to aeronautical experts engaged by the technical department of the French Air Ministry. There had been a further reduction, he said, in the general staff of the French air force.

France, he declared, was still in arrears in building up a strong air force, which would not have been It is announced that a Czecho-the case had the Government paid slovak cartel, which is financed by more attention to the Senate in the Anglo-Czech Bank has purchased past. the Skoda Works shares from the

French group associated with

Schneider-Creusot.-Trans-Ocean.

NEW YORK-INDIA

EXPRESS

Last year, he revealed, France spent a total of one milliard francs in modernising equipment in aero- p'ane factories throughout the coun- try in order to make possible the construction of machines in series.

It was necessary for France to turn out at least 500 planes month- ly, he ins'sted. But before this could be done the Government would An Italian shipping company, in have to appoint a real air dictator co-operation with the Royal Dutch who would have to enjoy the full

Rome, To-day.

off the Republican positions before western borders, while the RepubliAirline plans the upening of a new confidence and backing of the Chirf

Lerida.

Capture of Borjas Blancas

can side declare that their main

defences on the hills remain un. Passengers crossing from New

it-touched, though they admit that the flat terrain on which most

of

self would jeopardise the whole the fighting has hitherto taken Republican positions along the place favoured the Nationalists

mechanical superiority. lower Ebro and the posts between

Tarragona and the Ebro delta.

+

ITALIAN DIVISIONS

The Nationalists last evening captured Granadella, forty north-west of Tarragona.

m.les

MODEL ARMY

A Barcelona despatch adds that indeed the resistance of the Repu

fast passenger service from New of the Air Staff and who would York to India.

have to have a wide practical ex- perience of aircraft production. York to Naples aboard the Italian Another Senator who joined in liners "Rex" and "Conte di Savoia" the debate was M. Laurent Eynac will continue their journey from who pred cted that in 1939 France Naples to India by Dutch planes. would have an air force capable of Trans-Ocean.

NEW CZECH RAILWAY PLAN

The

Prague, To-day. Czecho-Slovakian Govern-

holding its own with any potential enemy.

Replying to Senator de la Grange, the Air Minister, M. Guy Lacham- bre, declared that the French avia- "dictator" tion industry had the demanded, in the person of Presi- dent Caquot.

Four Italian divisions are report-blican new model army is believed. to be proving most exhausting to ed to be participating in this thrust. the Nationalists and to be inspiring

the utmost confidence in the

The Minister declared that he publican rear.

Re-ent, according to the "A-Z," plans was ready to take certain prelimin- the construction of a new railway ary mobilisation measures for the On the other hand, the National- from Prague via Gitschin to air service but pointed out the dif- ists' headquarters state that their Neupaka ca the German frontier, ficulty of mobilising one branch of troops have broken the Republican where the Germans would build a industry while others c'osely linked com-lines at the Segre bridgehead and continuation of the line to Breslau. with it were not mobilised. Ebro, Balaguer and have crossed the Re- This direct connection between

and publican fortifications.

The Air Estimates were then Prague and Breslau was plated before the World War but Ocean.

contem- passed by the Senate. Trans-

It is an important position manding the left bank of the and was strongly fortified stubbornly defended.

FALL OF BALAGUER

ter.

was not constructed.-Trans-Ocean.

BANK MANAGER NOW IN JERUSALEM

Further north-east they claim to have surrounded Balmona. In the northern section they report fur- Earlier, the Nationalist victory |ther progress in the drive towards Mr. S. G. Barros, of No. 16 at Balaguer was the fifth point at the seaport of Tarragona. Further Torres- Avenue, has reported that which General Franco had pierced south-west they are reported to during the Race meeting at Fan- the Republican defences.

have surrounded Granadella.-Reu- ing on Monday a pair of Zeiss binoculars valued at $200 · were NATIONALIST CLAIMS

stoli from a leather suit case. The

London, To-day. b'noculars are the property of Mr.

The Colonial Office has received Stewart, of China Underwriters.

a telegram from the High Commis- sioner for Palestine that Mr. lo and occupied Convent and Bal- Bouvier, British manager of the doma, villages on the Segre River. Ottoman Bank in Palestine, who The troops of General Solchaga, was kidnapped on the Jerusalem- fighting in the routhern sector be-Jericho road on Monday, has General Munoz Grande who is tween the Segre and the Ebro, turned to Jerusalem Then armoured cara drove fighting on the northern sector of concentrated their attacks on British Wireless. through the breaches and through the Catalan front, after crossing Granadella and Borjas Blancas and

were

Tho

The air force and artillery open- ed the attack, pounding the forti- fications of Balaguer and bridge-

Saragossa, To-day. head. Tons of explosives

Nationalist offensive in dropped on the stone pillboxes and Catalonia continucs, Exploiting his sandbag parapets which formed the victory near Balaguer, General strongest Republican fortifications Moscardo has made further head- in this region.

way.

re-

safely.

a fourfold line of wire entangle- the Montsech Mounta'ns, advanced after a heavy battle reached The R. M. S. "Empress of Asia" ments. Infantry followed up and in the direction of the road leading Casteldana, nine kilometres from from Vancouver is due at Hong took the positions.-Reuter. from Lerida to the French frontier Borjas Blancas. Trans-Ocean, Kong on 12th January,