Evening star., 1936-09-25
L0YAL|STS MASS
FORCES AS REBELS
APPROACH TOLEDO
10000 MiIitiamen Rushed
to Defense, With Fascists
Ten Miles Away.
INSURGENTS MOVING
FORWARD CAUTIOUSLY
Draw Up Artillery and Armored
Cars in Preparation for
Heavy Fighting.
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
Bloody cipl ,odr which has torn
Spain tor So days continues to rage
In the Madrid Toledo sector tDith
undated fury.
Rebel forces hare been making
steady gains since the conflict.
iDhich started in Morocco in mid
July, spread to the mainland. Vtc-
tories tn the north haze permitted
them to consolidate gains in South
ern and Western Spain and to con-
centrdte their forces on the capital.
lcopyrisnt. 1886. oy the Associated Press.I
TAI.AVERA DE LA REINA, Spain,
September 25.-The Fascist army
driving toward Toledo to rescue their
beseiged garrison in the Alcazar, ap-
preached the main government de-
lenses today.
More than 10000 government mi
litiamen were reported massed out
side Toledo and insurgent COM
manders. despite their haste, became
more cautious. as they came almost
within sight Of the city.
Leaders hesitated to send in a fly
ing column for fear they would be
cut of and massacred. Batteries Of
artillery and armored cars were
brought to the front from Torrijos to
prepare for heavy fighting.
Another Fascist army, pushing along
the main highway to Madrid, slowed
up similarly in an attempt to CONSOLE
date its positions beyond Maqueda.
Within 10 Miles of City.
The vanguard of the Toledo attack
beating down crumbling government
defenses, marched within 10 miles Of
the city.
Headquarters of the Southern in
surgent army declared Fascist troops
made q steady advance on the
Maqueda-Toledo road. which brough.
their front ranks within sight OF the
provincial capital.
Government losses in scattered en-
gagements were declared heavy, while
the attacking insurgents suffered only
. few casualties.
The retreating Socialist troops aban-
doned quantities Of war materials In
hasty flight before the advancing in
surgents, an oficial announcement
declared.
Reinforcements Arrive.
Strong reinforcements Of legionnaires
and regular infantrymen joined the
Fascist drive after an enthusiastic
send-on in the public square at
Talavera. Soldiers and civilians sang
patriotic hymns to the accompani-
ment of military band.
Fascist commanders declared their
planes dropped supplies of food and
ammunitions to besieged comrades in
the razed Alcazar at Toledo toward
whose rescue the insurgent advance Is
aimed.
(The headquarters report con-
dicted with government statements
the Fascist drive on Madrid and To-
ledo had been halted with a flood Of
water from the Alberche River dams)
Aides Of Gen. Francisco Franco,
commander of the southern Fascist
army, said plans for the military cam
paign had been shifted to allow one
column to push toward a point mid
way between Madrid and Toledo on
the southern highway.
This change was made, they said,
In an attempt to cut the capital from
the provincial city.
Rebel Forces Advance.
(oddcial reports from Burgos, seat
Of the insurgent provisional govern.
ment. declared the Fascist troops on
the southern battle line had advanced
beyond Torrijos. on the road between
Maqueda and Toledo.
Gen. Frances forces repulsed