The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-03-28

On the Toledo front. the Nation -alists entered Aranjuez, taking 5000 prisoners. The Mathematics also made headlong advance on the Cordoba front, capturing town after town. The Republican demor- alization appeared complete.
 Madrid was captured without the firing of shot. The population, half-starved and weary of inces- sant bombardment by air bombs and artillery through many dreadful months, rejoiced that peace had come.
 Nationalist trucks piled high with bread moved into the city to feed the famished people.
 Loyalist Commander Flees
 General Segismundo Casado, mili- tary commander of the Republicans, had disappeared. It was believed he had gone to Valencia to join General Jose Miaja, president of the Madrid defense council, and that both would board a British or French warship to flee the country.
 Among the troops participating in the occupation of Madrid either by direct penetration or encirclement were corps of foreign volunteers commanded by General Saliquet and three mixed ItalianSpanish green arrow, blue arrow and black arrow divisions commanded by General Gaetone Gambara, Italian military chief in Spain.
 Five corps which participated in the Toledo offensive moved up by motor by way of Aranjuez into the southern edges of Madrid, encir- cling the capital from the south.
 The leading Republican chief re- maining in Madrid was Juan Bes- teiro, interior minister. who has been in charge of food distribution throughout the war. He braved ar rest to continue his task.
 Hiders Come Out in Open
 As the white flag was hoisted, Ma tionalist sympathizers of the famous fifth column" who had remained under cover in the capital since the beginning of the war, posing as Re- publicans, crowded into the streets, shouting for the NationalistS.
 They flew Italian and German, as well as Spanish flags, from the hoods of their automobiles.
 Within an hour after the white flag appeared, Nationalits troops poured out of their trenches, formed into columns and, crossing the de- serted Republican lines. marched into the city.
 They came through the northern streets, marching in toward the cen- tral area
 As they advanced. the red and gold flag of the Nationalists and the old monarchy appeared over the ministry of interior and on build ings all over the center of the city.
 Some police vanished from the streets. Those who remained began giving the Nationalist fascist salute.
 Two Year Torture Ends
 It was some time before the peo- pie generally realized that the ter- rible siege through which they had gone--the two years. eight months and Il days of bombs and shells and the torture of constant hunger was over.
 Then they went almost mad with joy.
 They ran from their homes and toward the center of the war; scared city to greet the Nationalist troops, singing, cheering, dancing, weeping.
 The city rang with shouts of:
 Long live Francol Long live Spain!"
 They and the fifth column men and women gave the fascist salute.
 Disarmed Republican troops, still in muddy uniforms, joined the cele- brants in the central area, to cheer the conQuerors.
 Members of the defense council were believed to have fled toward the coast by agreement with the
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