Evening star., 1937-08-08
BY EDWARD ]. NEIL.


with THE INSURGENT ARMY
ON THE ARAGON FRONT, August 7.
Through the blazing heat of Mid
summer, the civil war in Spain is thun-
deying toward a climax.
1.-The turning point may come in
the mountain badlands southwest Of
Teruel where Generslissimo Fran
cisco Francois eastern army is trying
to knife through the vital Madrid
Valencia highway; on the coast Of
the Bay of Biscay; in the Upper
Aragon Of the northeast. or in the
rich mineral lands of the south
But the issue probably will reach
final solution on the blood-spattered
barricsdes of Madrid
IF you could see the preparations
catch the deadly determination Of
the insurgent leaders and warriors
alike, you would probably feel with
them that the war will see its most
decisive phase this Fall-if not its
conclusion.
Army Numbers 650.000.
A bird's-eye view Of Spain shows
FRANCOIS forces in the sscendancy-
an army grown. in little more than
year Of fighting, from scattered
thousands to some $4,000 powerfully
organized and equipped men.
Insurgency claims two-thirds of
SPANS territory Francois iunta
rules $4,000 600 people, The Spanish
government, still clingtng to the
countrys three largest cities, Madrid
Valencia and Barcelona. was esti-
mated by inSurgent sources TO rule
100000 people.
The battle lines reach some 1900
miles, from the wslled-off mountain
provinces Of Ssntander and the
Asturiss on the Biscsysn front in the
north, down 8 zig-zag course to the
shore of the Mediterranean on the
south.
Just as IN last November, the in
surgent line snakes through the
western outskirts of inland Madrid
and around part of the southern rim
OF the former capital, ready to roll
forward at any moment the eity's
defenses are sufficiently weakened.
Since Madrid is Spain. both to the
eountry's population and the world
outside, the dispute will be settled
there. Two weeks ago it seemed
the clinactic stage Of the grim game
had been reached when Frances army
partially rolled back a government
salient into his rearguard territory.
But the insurgents did not pursue
those gains. The Madrid front lapsed
into comparative quiet The Aragon
front became the theater of the Bit
terest fighting.
Hot Plains Offer Defense.
Madrid is not only the sentimental
heart Of Spain, 1t is the govern
ment's greatest stronghold. The
plains that surround it. now burning
under temperatures that daily better
100 degrees In the shade, offer a great
natural defense.
Behind the city's ramparts tens of
thousands already are believed to
have fallen. The government has
concentrated there the cream Of its
forces.
In all, the government has 45
international brigades there. brigsdes
Of two bsttalions of 500 men each.
q total of about $4,000 men. It Is
estimated that 10000 Of these are
French volunteers. 5000 Britors and
the remainder Americans. German
expatriates, Italian anti -Fascists.
Czechs, Poles and few Russians.
Estimates of the governments air
force ran as high as 300 planes per-
haps less now after the losses of the
mass aerial operations in the recent
Madrid front fighting. There are
hundreds Of pieces Of artillery and
possibly 10000 machine guns on that
front alone, insurgents estimated.
Against this array Franco has an
equal air strength and even more
men. 1t has been suggested that it
would take 1000 600 men TO capture
Madrid with headlong assault. That
would mean virtual destruction Of
the capital, which the insurgents
would like to avoid
The insurgents seem content To
chop up other fronts slowly weaken
ing the government and leaving
Madrid for the piece de resistance
OF SPANS war feast.