Evening star., 1936-09-15
FRANCO PLEDGES
25,00O FOR REBEL
MARCH ON MADRID
Will Send Men to TaIavera
for Drive, Capital Re-
ports Say.
TOLEDO IS BELIEVED
IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVE
Fascist Flyers Bombard Santa
Alalla-Infantry Thrown Back
in Attack on Mountain Pass.

BACKGROUND
Since the outbreak OF the ciuil
uar in Spain last July the rebel
forces hdpe been striking regularly
at cities surrounding Madrid. the
capital city. The repolt began in
the south, spread up the Medi-
terranean coast and finally last
week covered virtually the entire
Northern (French) border. Still
loyalist stronghold, Madrid is the
reported objective OF forces gather
ing in the southwestern section OF
the nation.
Rebel gains hare signifed ad-
rance OF Royalist-FGsciSt theory OF
government as opposed at Socialist
Communist theory, prdcticed by
the official government OF Spain
under mandate gipen in a victory
at the polls last Spring by a Lett
ist coalition.
tcopyright. 1885, py the Associated Press;
MADRID, September 15.-The gov
ernment high command announced
today Gen. Francisco Franco, Fascist
commander in chief, had pledged
$4,000 reinforcements to the Talavera
march on Madrid, after the Talavera
chieftains had told him: "The militia
is braver than we are"
Authorities said their information
came from a Fascist deserter who re-
ported the main rebel forces were en-
camped west of Talavera de la Reina,
with two vanguards stretching toward
Avila and San Martin de Valdeiglesias,
the latter city only SO miles west Of
Madrid.
The Fascists are trying to establish
q line linking CASTLE and Andalusia,
the deserter said, with the Avila COLI
umn under the command Of Lieut..
Col. Vague, whose headquarters are
back of Talavera.
The government believed the i'm
mediate objective of the Fascists was
to speed up their march on Toledo,
advancing by way of Talavera and
Calera y Chozas, crossing the AL
berche and Tietar Valleys.
1t was Col. Vague, the deserter was
quoted as saying, who told Franco
the government forces were 'braver'
and asked for reinforcements
An official communique said Fas-
cist flyers had bombarded Santa
Olalla, "a miles northwest of Toledo,
and several other towns, without OBJ
tanning their objective"
The enemy also attempted to ad-
vance through the Boqueron Mountain
pass, but an official report said a
counterattack threw them back, with
three machine guns and SIS rifles cap
tured by the government.
Authorities declared the Fascists in
Spanish Morocco had shot 200 persons
in putting down an uprising there is
days ago and that % more soldiers
died before firing squad in the zone
last Saturday.
The government itself, it was an
nounced, has imposed the death PEN
atty on 81 army officers since the start
of the civil war, nearly 8 weeks ago,
executing II Of them already.
Fifty-two were executed at Alicante,
8 at Lerida, 2 at Barcelona and 10
at Murcia.
Eighteen others were sentenced to
life Imprisonment at Madrid and two
at Barcelona.
The Agrarian Reform Institute. 1t
was announced, has delivered $50 addi-
tional rural estates for direct exploita-
ton by the families of landless farm
ers.
In a series Of sharp engagements gov
ernment militiamen were said to have
kept the Fascists from advancing on
Madrid in the central area.
The Socialist lines repulsed Fascist
an official announcement de-
Z (See SPANISH, Page A-5)