Evening star., 1938-04-08


- the Associated Press.
HENDAYE France, April ga Sec
ond contingent of Gen. Frances in
surgents smashed its way to within
sight Of Spain's east coast today as
widespread and deadly combat surged
along all the Catalan front.
Galicians fought their way to control
Of lofty Mount Turmell. less than 10
miles downhill to Vinaroz on the Med
iterranean. This column on the far
Southern Catalan front threatened the
flank Of embattled government divi-
sions held at bay for three days by the
insurgent force attempting to take
Tortosa, % miles by road to the north.
Among the government defenders at
Tortosa was the famous Lister Brigade.
Forty miles north of Lerida. Gen.
Solchagas army struck directly into
Catalonia and took Tremp, accupying
the important power center and cut
ting two high tension lines which
supplied thousands of volts of electric
current to Barcelonas vital war in
dustries.
Rebel Banners Above Towns.
1nsurgent red and gold banners
fluttered in town after town as in
surgent armies rolled through at least
a dozen villages of the upper Noguera
Pallaresa Valley.
Insurgent officers at Irun declared
the swift capture of the 90-foot high,
660-foot long dam at Tremp scotched
government plans to send huge flood
OF 7,000oOo0O0 cubic feet of water
roaring down the Segre and Ebro Rive
Valleys The officers said their troops
found huge quantities of dynamite to
be used in blasting the dam to release
a lake of water approximately miles
long and miles wide
Such a food, they added, would
have swept the entire length of the
Ebro and Segre River Valleys, wash
Ing away the temporary bridges by
which Frances troops have main
tanned communications. The water
also would have flooded parts of Bala-
guer, Lerida Tortosa and many vii
lagos, the officers said
289 Villages Occupied.
At Zaragoza insurgent Aragon
headquarters announced 289 villages
and towns with normal population
of 343,213 had been occupied between
March 8, the day before the march
to the sea was launched, and April g.
Farther south Frances troops hit
hard at government defenses in the
Balaguer sector, seeking to force de-
tenders from middle Lerida Province
and uncover by flank movement the
strong government line before BARGE
Iona.
Their immediate objectives appeared
to be the twin towns of San Lorenzo
de Monday and Camarasa, sites of
two additional hydro-electric plants
OF the Segre River Valley.
Behind the lines Gen. Frances
secondary columns received a welcome
from war-terrified inhabitants of oc-
cupied villages. Triumphal arches
hastily were erected for the con-
querors.
Fascist salutes and cheers for "El
Caudillo' (the leader)-Gen Franco
enivened the grim military march.
Dispatches said government casual
ties were enormous. Many volunteers
in the International Brigade were
said to be among the wounded and
dead.
More Flee to France.
The steady progress of insurgent
armies sent new bands of fear-stricken
Spaniards fleeing northward toward
the French border. Additional from
tier guards from Pau and Montalban
took positions on the French side after
reports said 5000 homeless were pre-
pairing to enter through the Pyrenees
Pass Val d'Aran.
Whole villages were evacuated, in
habitants fleeing into mountainous
hideouts to escape possible aerial bonn
bardments
1t was feared many would perish of
cold and hardship in the snow-covered
passes and glacial ice packs which
made travel hazardous. Some of the
refugees arriving told of wandering
for days without food.
In Barcelona Foreign Minister Julio
Alvarez del Vayo expressed confidence
in the resistance power of the gov
ernment and declared Catalonian de-
tense would prove to be one of the
most extraordinary events of the war"
The u. G. T.-Socialist- Communist
labor union--asked the government
for power to conduct purge of dis
sident elements behind the lines.
Arrests of many members of Fifth
Column'-insurgent sympathizers-
at Alicante, government port, already
were reported.
A Barcelona dispatch said doctors
returning there from the front re-
ported government lines still holding
above Cherta at Tortosa, at Mora la
Nueva on the Reus-Alcaniz road, and
ut Lerida.
Officers returning from the front
SAID the change in government pleased
the troops, who expected better dis
tribution of war materials and a more
competent command to result
Greater activity of government air.
craft in bombing and strafing of the
enemy was reported.
Although insurgent artillery was in
range of the Barcelona Valencia high
way the government side said the
road still was being used for traffic.
Five Sentenced to Death.
MADRID, April LP.-Five per-
sons were sentenced to death today by
special treason court on charges of
attempting to incite rebellion.
NJ