Evening star., 1939-03-28
Madrid Surrenders to Franco:
Cheering Throngs Hail Troops
Marching Into Spanish Capital
Civil War Ends
As Republican
Leaders Flee
BACKGROUND

BACkGROUND-
Spanish Republican efforts to
reach an honorable peace" dur
ing the past month haze been
hampered, first by Cn,naunist
reUolt, 1Uhich paS suppressed,
later BY reluctance OF Gen.
Franco to make any concessions
for surrender. Yesterday Nd-
tionalist troops took strategic po-
sitions near Madrid as others be-
gan an aduance to1Oard the capt.
tai from Toledo.
BY the Associated Press.
WITH GEN. FRANCOIS TROOPS
IN MADRID. March 28.-Throngs
shouting Viva Franco!' hailed Ma
tionalist troops swarming into Ma
drid after the sudden surrender OF
the capital today.
Nationalist leaders, broadcasting
from the Union Radio Station in
the heart of Madrid. announced the
complete military occupation of the
capital.
"llllC 1ldSS VI Sul Ill2AiSASo
with Nationalist emblems, broke out
throughout the city early today as
leaders of the National Defense
Council fled.
Not shot was fired when listless
soldiers of the beaten Republican
regime laid down their arms.
Valencia Surrender Expected.
Capitulation in the conflict which
lasted two years and eight months
and cost uncounted hundreds of
thousands of lives came on orders of
Col. Adolfo Prada, the Republican
.army's new commander. Gen. Jose
Miaja, savior of Madrid" and his
war minister, Segismundo Casado,
had gone to Valencia.
CA Valencia dispatch said Gen.
Miajas Republican National De-
fense Council, meeting there
after fleeing from Madrid. was
understood to be negotiating for
the early entry of Generalissimo
Frances troops into Valencia.
Meeting with Gen. Niaja were all
other members of the council ex-
cept Foreign Minister Julian Bes-
teiro, who remained in Madrid)
Fascists Celebrate in Streets.
An estimated $4,000 jubilant Fas-
cists celebrated in the streets of this
city which had been under seige
since November 6. 1886. In these
same streets hundreds had been
killed in intermittent artillery and
air bombardments.
Madrid's famous Fifth Column"
-Generalissimo Francisco Frances
-Sympathizers who risked their lives
to spy for him during the war
came into the open.
Released from the strain Of war,
people rushed frantically about the
streets, dancing and embracing each
other. They sang and shouted in
scenes of wild enthusiasm.
Gen. Franco was expected to make
a triumphal entry into Madrid after
cleanup operations" He may come
Saturday.
Disarmed republican soldiers
who had seen Gen. Franco gradu-
ally take over three-fourths OF
Spain in a campaign which saw
few republican victories and came
to a climax with the fall of BARGE
Iona January 26-streamed back into
the city from deserted fronts.
They heard street throngs shout
"Viva Franco" while others drove
around in automobiles carrying
monographs and loud-speakers
playing the Spanish royal anthem
and the nationalist anthem.
With the surrender-Which fol-
lowed long and secret negotiations
with Gen. Franco by the republican
defense council-the old red and
yellow monarchist flag which flew
under King Alfonso was seen every
where.
Republican banknotes were being
refused in the shops, and many per-
sons in the streets were giving the
! Nationalist salute.
A shortage of gasoline and auto
mobiles seriously impeded the flight
of refugees-mostly labor union
and political leaders-who feared
they were marked for Nationalist
reprisals.
Blue uniformed assault guards
made no attempt to interfere with
crowds demonstrating for Franco.