Evening star., 1936-09-17
Million Men Promised by
Fascist Chief in 3.Point
Attack.
DAREDEVILS RECRUITED
TO MAN new AIR FLEET
Insurgents Converge on Capital
From North-Gen. Amido
Dictator Choice.
BACKGROUND

against populdrly-eLected coalition
OF Lettist parties directed in early
stages at capture OF capital, Madrid.
but government defense stemn1ed
tide OF insurgent conquest.
Realizing weakness by dispersion
OF forces on seperal fronts, Fascist
insurgents turned to concentrate
attack on northern key cities before
returning to Madrid assault. Irun
and San Sebastian haze fallen:
Bilbao is besieged.
Government controls Dedge-
shaped area extending from eastern
sea coast to q tip at Toledo. Rebels
hold Northern and Southern Spain
and strip along the Portuguese
frontier connecting the t,Do.
(Copyright. 1885. by the Associated Press.I
MADRID. September l7-Fascist
attackers and Socialist defenders
clashed today in bloody engagement
near Toledo, which was described as
1.-The fercest battle since the outbreak
of the revolution"
Government military commanders
rushed several thousand troops to
Toledo, as the insurgents were re-
ported to have begun three-pointed
drive on the Spanish capital.
The Fascist forces in the Talavera
sector west of Toledo. led personally
by Gen. Francisco Franco, commander
in chief of the insurgents, renewed
a driving attack against reinforced
Socialist columns.
Advices reaching Madrid said the
battle was taking place several" miles
from Toledo, once the capital Of the
kingdom OF Ferdinand and Isabella.
Reports to the war ministry de-
clared simultaneous Fascist move
ments were begun from the northeast,
the north and the northwest.
Insurgent militia moved on the cap
ital from Siguenza, Guadalaj jara Prov
ince, and fresh attacks were ordered
in the mountainous Guadarrama
passes, where government troops held
fortified positions.
The Fascist commander was re-
ported to have claimed mobilization
Of 1880 men north and west Of
Madrid. If necessary, he was said to
have asserted, he could rush almost
1000, 600 men to the battlefield for a
definite attack on Madrid within two
weeks.
Government artillery batteries In
the Guadarrama passes opened deadly
fire of shells as the Fascist forces at
tempted to scale the jagged peaks and
drive the Socialists from the noun
tain posts.
An insurgent air squadron bombed
the Trubia gun factory in Oviedo
Province, it was reported, while So
cialist fighting planes on the Arago-
nese front routed six Fascist ships.
forcing one to land. The grounded
plane was reported to be of foreign
manufacture and piloted by foreign
flyer.
Daredevil Pilots Enlisted.
The government, meanwhile, be-
gan recruiting foreign "daredevil''
pilots to launch a desperate aerial
attack against Fascist insurgents with
a huge fleet Of new bombing and
fighting planes"
Delivery of the new air armada
from improvised factories at BARGE
Iona is expected soon, officials said,
to strengthen the sky forces of the
defending Socialists.
The ships will be placed in the
hands of foreign pilots and machine
gunners, now being organized by the
Madrid air command, military au-
thorities declared.
Weakness Of its air squadrons has
been acknowledged by the new Social
ist- Communist government. Many
flyers supporting the Madrid admins
tration have been shot down by the
superior air forces of the Fascist in
surgents.
Government lines in the civil war
sectors, meanwhile, are concentrating
on repulsing enemy advances, the war
ministry said, awaiting the moment
when the reinforced flying formations
begin definite offensive against the
Fascists
Developments in War.
The ministry reported officially
these developments in the civil con-
hict:
On the Talavera front, Central