Evening star., 1939-01-26

| buTCetOHd JTOW JTOHt 0U mtleS
aUay. Steady adDance, almost
1Dithout defeat. brought in
Surgent forces to gates OF Catalan
capital from south, 1uest and
northwest. Thousands of refugees
and the officials of the gouern-
ment fled to Northwestern Cata-
lonia, still held By Loyalists.
By the Associated Press.
HENDAYE, France, Jan. 26.-In-
surgent Generalissimo Frances
Spanish. Moorish and Italian troops
marched into Barcelona at noon
today with flags flying and bands
playing, formally taking over Spain's
largest city after two and half
years of civil war.
The government defense had COL
lapsed. Insurgent dispatches said
| there was little or no resistance at
the end. At last reports the govern
ment army was forming a new de-
fense line somewhere to the north.
Insurgent accounts of the entry
said the people of Barcelona f1ocked
from their houses TO greet the victo-
rious army whose planes for months
have been raining death in their
midst.
Today it was another thing. Dis
patches reaching the border said
the Barcelonans cheered wildly as
the troops paraded through the
palm-lined streets. To them Gen.
Frances victory meant something
other than triumph for the insur-
gent cause. 1t meant food and an
end to the bombings.
Greatest Prize of War.
Gen frances armies had gained
the greatest prize of the war at the
climax of knockout offensive
launched December % from lines
some 80 miles to the west.
Near the French border Premier
Juan Negrin and his Spanish gov
ernment sought to re-establish their
Offices temporarily after a hasty
flight from Barcelona But there
were indications that both the re-
publican cabinet and the theater of
war might be shifted soon to the
southern-central island" of govern
ment territory, including Madrid
ard Valencia.
1nsurgent accounts said the entry
into Barcelona was orderly and dis
clplined. Within 10 minutes ban
ners began appearing on balconies
and windows and the city soon was
gay with decorations.
Two hours after the INSURGENTS
arrival celebrations were reported
In the streets, with crowds demand
Ing appearance of the generalissimo.
Celebrations occurred throughout
insurgent Spain.
Push on Northwestward.
An lnsurgent column was reported
pushing on to Badalona, 6 miles
northeast of Barcelona on the
coastal road.
"a Reuters dispatch to London
said units Of the insurgent fleet
steamed into Barcelona Harbor
with all ships dressed with
Franco colors, AS they entered
the insurgent air force stunted
overheadD
Tanks and armored cars accom-
panied the infantry marching into
Barcelona. Soldiers waved their rifles
aloft. crying, Long Live Spain!"
Long Live Spanish Catalonia"
They marched down the Paseo de
Colon, one of the main streets, and
through the Gale de Cortes. MANY
OF the welcoming throng, insurgent
dispatches said, were weeping as
they rushed out to embrace the
soldiers. Food trucks were brought
Immediately into the city and began
distributing provisions.
Three Columns Mach In.
Three picked columns of troops
which have seen some of the most
savage fighting of the war-the
Moroccan Legionnaires, the Navar-
reSe Army Corps and an Italian
Arrow" Division-were given the
honor of leading the entry into
Barcelona
Two of its major strongholds, the
gray stone fortress of Montjuich, on
coastal heights in the southern
(See SPAIN, Page A-4.)