Evening star., 1936-08-20
Defense Set Up
100 Miles of
Madrid.
REPORT REBEL
HOSTSROUTED
Fascists Deny Loss
of Advantage in
Bitter Fight.
Copyright 1885. BY the Associated Press,

tCopyright. 1885. BY the Associated Press,
MADRID, August 20.-Government
forces, in hot engagements with Fas-
cist rebels, today established a new
line of defense about 100 miles SOUTH
west Of Madrid.
Navalmoral de la Mata was reported
in flames. with rebels in headlone
flight before victorious government
troops, and at Ala the government
declared the rebels were routed after
a two-hour siege
(Rebel sources reported from the
Portuguese border, however, that Col
Julio Mangada's government army had
been defeated in the attack on Naval
moral)
The march, from rebel strongholds
outside Of Badajoz to the present bat
tie line, represented Fascist forward
movement against Madrid Of approxi-
mately 100 miles, on the basis of their
last previously reported positions.
Battle Described.
A government source in describing
the battle said: During the first hour.
of the morning Navalmoral de Ia
Mata was in glaring flames as the fire
spread from house to house.
Rebels no longer could withstand
the barrage from loyal rifles and sur
render to the militia.
"At dawn the column approached
Ala. The troops were ordered to spill
UP and surround the town where the
rebels were barricaded.
THE column advanced despite some
shooting from the rebels and the
enemy began to fee about two hours
after the siege started.
ALA, duly fortified, is impreg
nable. It has several thousand in
habitants and rich crops. Farmer
now are busy harvesting.
From Ala We can dominate al
most the whole Sierra Mountains o
Extremadura (ancient Spanish prov
ince which includes several presen
provinces in the vicinity.
Republican flags now are waving
from all the houses Of the town.
when the flags were hoisted tht
militia stood firm with raised fists.
Toledo Towns Held.
Government quarters declared ever!
town in the province of Toledo was ir
their hands.
Reliable reports from Gibraltar
stated that the rebel commander, Gen
Emilio Mola, had advised his col.
league. Gen. De Llano at Seville, Il
send no new troops northward.
(Mola asserted he had sufficient
strength with which to crush Madrid
in less than a week. Radio reports
said the Fascists had captured Albu-
querque and Olivenda and shot down
two loyalist airplanes near Badajoz.)
Loyalist forces Of the Socialist gov
ernment, marching on Teruel and
Granada, expressed their determine
ton TO save Spain from fascism by
the end Of August"
Battle to Death Urged.
Former Premier Diego Martinez
odIIlU, dOQl CoolilS pAoAAAa cOAS~ASAS
called upon them to take again the
oath we took at the beginning of the
uprising: It is better for us to die
than live as slaves"
A government broadcast urged citi-
zens to disobey orders from rebel gen.
erals calling to service soldiers who
served under the last five conscrip-
tions. IF you cannot do anything
else" the government broadcast ad-
vised citizens of captured towns, hee
from the city"
In Alicante, Manuel Martinez Nieto
q refugee from Granada, said govern
ment troops since Saturday have oc'
cupied several towns in the vicinity o.
Granda, including La zubia.
Rebels in Granada, he said, wer'
running short of food and ammunition
and their situation was desperate.
He denied reports the Alhambra hat
been destroyed, but he said the rebel!
(See RATTLE. Page A-5)