Evening star., 1936-09-13
Defenders Surrender Sea.
port and FIee-"Insurg-
ents as Good as Won
War" Observers Say.
R0YALISTS WILL MAKE
LAST STAND AT BILBAO
Fighting Resumed in Toledo Sec.
tion With Madrid Regime
Claiming Rebels Fail to Make
Gain Despite Bombing Of
Cities by Airplane.
BACKGROUND

Spanish morocco Spredd quickly to
the mainland. 1t became apparent
that this uas no usual coup at.
tempt but the result of long-st1nd- O..
ing ennity betUeen opponents Of
tDo theories OF government. The
rebels, Fascist Mondrchists, pushed
their driue relentlessly against the
loyal government CommuniSt-So-
cidlists. Immediate issue had been
developed in elections last Winter
,D1len Letttsts captured oouern-
nent.
Rebels In recent weeks haze
centered attack on important sea
coast toUns in north and Loydltsts
hdpe held fast to Madrid. Esti-
mated dead in pitched battles and
guerilla Ddrtdre-5S, 900.
(Copyright. 1886, by the Associated ?ressJ
SAN SEBASTIAN. Spain. September
l2.-Government defenders abandoned
the seaport of San Sebastian to the
Fascists tonight.
The Fascist forces, with Irun cap
tured q week ago, thus achieved their
seven-week objective-control Of the
vital Bay of Biscay sector contiguous to
the French border.
Foreign consular officers expressed
the opinion abandonment of San Sc
bastian by the government forces
marked a definite turning point in the
civil war
The Madrid government is lost"
said one South American consul.
REIMBURSEMENT of the city after the
fall of Irun is q military loss which
the Popular Front cannot overcome.
From a military and moral point Of
view the insurgents as good Is won the
civil war today"
The Fascist fighting men. under the
war lord, Gen. Emilio Mola, poured
into the city in the afternoon, disdain-
ing scattered sniping by q handful Of
government militiamen who had not
joined in the rout.
Governor Sticks to Post.
The municipal governor. Antonio
Ortega, who had vowed San Sebas-
tian will never be burned" stuck to his
post to the last minute. His plan was
to flee with other government officials
aboard a yacht to Bilbao. which is still
nominally in government hands.
Hundreds of militiamen were packed
into trucks and sent roaring at break
neck speed on the road to Bilbao. where
the government forces swore to make
last stand"
The retreating militiamen Of the
government rushed from the city pell-
nell in headlong flight after Fascist
troops stormed Fort Santa Barabara--
the key to San Sebastian's defenses.
Other thousands of government
fighting men stampeded aboard
freighters, fishing smacks and motor
boats which showed of hastily.
Those on shore thought the fleeing
militiamen would head either for Bill
boa or for French ports.
Fleeing Soldiers.
Striving desperately to change the
rout of the militiamen into a SEM
OldIlCe Oh OIucI, odoAuC AAd1AO4AdAoOos
with revolvers drawn, guarded street
intersections
The fleeing soldiers ran up and down
the streets, some still clutching their
rifles, others dropping everything In
their haste to get out of the city.
Here and there a militiamsn carried
a wounded comrade on his back as he
trotted toward the gates of the city.
Government officials, however, es-
timated that several thousand oficials
would remain In the city.
Echoes of heavy cannonading rolled
back into the panic-strickeu city lead
ing to the belief that the government
retreat had been halted and that the
militiamen might have turned to make
q stand against their pursuers.
The sudden decision to abandon the
city was reached few hours before
expiration of a Fascist ultimatum to
blow the city to pieces" If it did not
surrender.
Fort Guadalupe Bombed.
The government gunboat No. 8, az
q parting gesture dumped dozen Sc
inch shells on Fort Guadalupe which
(See SPAIN, Page A-15)