Evening star., 1938-10-11

WUy utA LtC oCff u uC AOS SuOAttOCs
At San Sebastian, the Official jour-
nal of the insurgents published
statements by three leaders stating
mediation is impossible. ;
BY the Associated Press.
HENDAYE, France cat the Spanish
Frontier), Oct. 1.-THE heaviest ight-
ing in weeks in Spain's civil war ragged
today on the Ebro River front, where
government dispatches said . sudden
offensive by government militiamen had
resulted in capture Of the strategic
Pandols Mountains and threatened
Gandesa itself.
The battle began late yesterday
when government troops, who had been
holding their lines against series OF
insurgent local attacks. launched q
carefully planned offensive.
Wave after wave Of militiamen, pro-
tected by heavy artillery fire, swept
across the Santa Madalena Ravine,
which was the scene Of terrific fight
ing nearly a month ago. when the
government halted one Of Generalissimo
Francisco Frances attempts to push
them back to the Ebro.
Gandesa, important communications
center in Northeastern Spain, also was
the goal Of the governments surprise
offensive launched July Is, when
militiamen swept across the Ebro and
drove to within a few miles Of the
city before being halted. Since then
action on the Ebro front has consisted
largely Of the insurgents efforts to
regain the territory west Of the Ebro.
Ravine is Captured.
Santa Madalena Ravine was cap
tured after brief but furious fighting
today in which hand to hand combat
proved the decisive factor, said govern
ment reports.
These said the government forces
pressed their offensive at dawn today,
with two strategic hilltops-Nos. $50
and 705 on government maps-in the
hands Of Barcelonas troops. The bat
tie still was raging in the early aft
ernoon
Government aviation concentrated
in the Ebro sector co-operated with the
land forces and apparently held con-
troll Of the air during the first IL hours
of the offensive. The insurgents we're
reported to have rushed artillery up to
the pandol area from other sectors
in an effort to balance the govern
ment's concentration Of big guns
The government offensive apparently
was intended to cover the withdrawal
Of foreign volunteers, which reports
from Barcelona said might be finished
this week. The actual withdrawal Of
international fighters from the Ebro
front began yesterday. At almost the
same time the government forces in
creased the intensity Of their attack.
First to be ordered out were troops
that had been fighting since the be-
gining OF the civil war, July ,l8, 1896.
Italians to Go Home.
Border reports from insurgent ter
ritory indicated large numbers Of
Italian legionnaires were being massed
near the Southern Spanish ports to
be sent home.
One report from insurgent sources
said $4,000 Italians would leave Seville
Wednesday.
CA dispatch from Gibraltar said
the first group of Italian legion
naires, 500 in ALL left Cadiz Sunday
for Naples abroad an Italian steam
err They had fought with the in
surgents 18 months. Further trans
ports Of Fascist soldiers were ex-
pected to leave Cadiz October 20 on
steamers which left Naples yester-
day.
Spanish government reports indi-
Gated no more than $500 foreign
troops were fighting on the Ebro
front. These accounts said only the
l29th and seth Brigades included the
majority of the foreign troops. and
they were on the Castellon and Estra-
madurs fronts.
AS the foreign troops withdrew to
concentration points their places were
taken by Spanish soldiers from rest
billets.
Although the insurgents insisted
all government attacks on the Ebro
front were repulsed, Barcelona ad-
vices reported advances on three
principal sectors