Evening star., 1936-09-22
INSURGENTS RUSH
ON TOLEDO, SEEING
MADRID AT MERCY
Uruguay Breaks Relations
Over SIayings-Strategic
Bridge Bombed.
GOVERNMENT TO RESIST
BATTLE NEAR CAPITAL
Lisbon Reports Say Drive on Tor.
rios Has Begun-Last Tower
of Alcazar Falls.
BACKGROUND

OF Madrid, the capital city. Rebels
against the Socialist Communist re-
gime, haze been making gains in
outlying provinces in recent weeks.
Loyalist stronghold has been and
seems to be rebel effort to moue on
capital from at least four sides.
Latest developments haze come from
southern area, Uhere important
battles haue been fought for pos
session OF highway points. Rebels
haze been uictorious in encounters
50 far and have advanced to IS
miles from the capital.
Py the Associated Press.
Insurgent armies, commanding the
most important crossroads in Spain,
drove toward Toledo and their be-
sieged comrades of the AlcaZar today,
declaring Madrid virtually was at their
mercy as their Fascist bombers de-
stroyed a railway bridge just northwest
OF Toledo
Anything may happen now" the
Fascist high command said of the
prospects of an early Madrid victory.
From Maqueda, some 40 miles south
west of Madrid and "a miles north
west of Toledo, the insurgents have
wide roads which lead to their goals.
Conservative Fascists, pointing out
the government was concentrating
desperate defense forces on the Ma
queda- Madrid highway. said these un-
trained militiamen must be reckoned
with. but believed, nevertheless, they
would be beaten soon.
Dispatches from the front, reaching
Lisbon late today. stated the insurgents
already were pushing on to Torrijos,
more than a third of the way to
Toledo, following carefully mapped
campaign.
Maqueda. these dispatches said, fell
after thousands" of government de-
tenders had been killed.
Uruguay Breaks Relations.
From Montevideo came news Uru-
quay. angered by the reported execu-
ton of three sisters of a Uruguayan
diplomat in Madrid, severed relations
with Spain.
The diplomatic break was an
nounced following a cabinet meeting
which considered dispatches describ-
ing the alleged killing of Dolores, Con-
suelo and Maria Aguiar, sisters of
Montevideo's consul in the Spanish
capital.
The reported killings, government
ources held, demonstrated the Madrid
administration could not control the
actions of its militia.
Reports to the foreign ministry
stated the sisters were executed by
government militiamen. Their brother
now is in Hendaye, France.
The reports to Montevideo indicated
the sisters disappeared eight days ago.
Their fate was mystery until yes
terday when, a Uruguyan oficial
statement said, their bodies we're
found with those of other persons
executed by the militia.
Bridge Is Bombed.
The Fascist bombers destroyed the
strategic railway bridge Just north
west of Toledo while thousand fresh
troops were rushed to .Torrijos on the
Maqueda Highway to stem the in
surgent advance.
The Fascist planes made their dar-
Ing raid on the bridge at Bargas, link
ing aHdrid with Estremadura, while
government troops again were storm
ing the beleaguered Alcazar in
Toledo.
Riding in trucks and double -deck
busses, the troops en- route to Torrijos,
approximately IS miles north of To-
ledo took cover along the highway
near Olias as the bombers swooped
over the road
The bridge, known as the Puente
de Guadarrama, carried the main
tracks of the Madrid -Estremadura
lines. 1t was demolished by the first
Of eight bombs which blasted the
village.
Villagers at Olias and Cabanas de
la Sagra fed the towns, fearing
new raid.
Despite the advance in the Madrid
and Toledo vicinities, the insurgents
admitted their march on Bilbao. on
the Bay of Biscay, was being blocked
by determined government resistance
at Eibar.
The government stand to defend
Madrid, reported to be at Santa Cruz
Del Retamas, would put the onrushing
insurgents less than 40 miles from the
capital.
Fugitives from Madrid who crossed
the French border said the capital
was on war-edge as the insurgents
swiftly forced its defenses back, and
staged repeated air raids.
They said street crowds militantly
saised clenched fists and shouted mo
pasaran" (they shall not pass), but
officials were deeply concerned.
Precautions, they reported, were
being made against gas attacks and
first-aid stations were maintaining
constant vigil.
Government sources in Madrid said
the defense lines were being hastily
bolstered with reinforcements Of men
and munitions from Toledo and bar
racks in the capital.
Mallorca, the newspaper La Voc
charged in Madrid, "has actually been
made an Italian colony"
The besieged insurgents in the Alcazar
at Toledo were driven underground
under q steel hail Of shell and bullet
fire after government artillery had
leveled the last standing tower Of the
historic citadel.
The Catalan war ministry announced