Evening star., 1939-03-29
Franco Holds
All Spain; War
Officially Over
Albocete, Cortogeno
Last Major Cities
To CopituIote
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
Nationalist armies OF Gen.
Francisco Franco entered Madrid
yesterday after month long peace
ouertnres from Republican lead
ers Which failed, ho1Ueuer, to
bring a formal peace. Republi-
can officials fed from Madrid
to Valencia, taking ,Uith them
those ,cho. it 1Uas feared. might
be subjects of Nationalist re-
prisdls.
BY the Associated Press.
MADRID. March 29-Church bells
rang joyfully today to signal Ma
tionalist Generalissimo Francisco
Frances bloodless conquest in coastal
and inland cities and towns where
Republican Spain made its last hope
less stand.
Control of all Spain's 50 provinces
was claimed by Nationalist head
quarters at Burgos 80 months after
start of the savage civil war which
split the nation.
Gen. frances headquarters for
mally announced the end of the
civil war. declaring that only police
operations remained to be carried
out.
Organized Republican resistance
to the Nationalist conquest collapsed
or. the heels of yesterdays surrender
oil Madrid and todays rapitulation
of Valencia, greatest port OF he
publican Spain.
Gen. Jose Miaja. head of the Re-
publicans last governing body, &c
with his staff by airplane to French
Algeria.
Albacete Last to Yield.
Albacete was the last of the Re-
publican provincial capitals to sun
render And at almost the same
time radio advices to the head
quarters of Generalissimo Franco
told of the surrender of Cartasena,
the Republican naval base.
Madrids hungry inhabitants. after
months Of near-starvation, rejoice
in the peace and food brought them
yesterday with the entry of Gen
frances troops into the metropolis
| The will to fight that sustained
Republicans for nearly three years
ended with Madrids submission.
/ Nationalist authorities formally
took over Valencia this morning with
out meeting resistance. Travellers
arriving from Valencia said that
everywhere village church bells were
ringing to celebrate the arrival OF
the troops.
In quick order Alicante. Murcia,
Almeria, Jaen. Cuenca, Ciudad Real
and Guadalajara fell into Generals
simo Frances hands. Then came
Albocete and Cartagena.
Reports to Nationalist headquar-
ters said thousands of persons filled
| the streets of the surrendered cap
itals. awaiting the arrival of troops
which were moving rapidly into the
Southern provinces from concentra-
tions around Malaga, on the south
ern coast. Other armies south OF
Barcelona headed for Valencia anC
Alicante.
Nationalist tanks and artillery
moved in long lines along the
country roads of the central and
southern fronts. Village after vii
lage greeted the conquerors with
Viva Franco!"-a cry now sweep
ing all Spain.
So fast were Nationalist troops
moving through Republican-held
territory that it was impossible to
keep count of the towns they cap
tured. 1t was believed the National
lists would finish disarming Repub-
lican troops before the week end.
Madrid Is Heartened.
Madrid started the second day
of celebrating heartened by the sight
of long lines of social auxiliary
trucks loaded with foodstuffs filing
into the city. 1t was hunger as
much as anything that brought this
besieged capital to its knees.
Medical sources estimated that
more than 300 persons had dieo
monthly of malnutrition in the lat
ter stages of the siege that began
875 days ago.
Rafael Henche, Socialist Mayor
of Madrid. was reported arrested
1t was understood that he had tried
to get an automobile to take him tc
Valencia, but, unsuccessful in that
had stayed here and surrendered
It was estimated that 10000 pris-
oners were taken in the Madrid
sector alone, with tens of thousands
more in other places. AS in Cata-
lonia, in Northwestern Spain, most
of these are to be released as soon
as the Natiopalists can prove the
lack of criminal charges against
them
Then comes one of Gen. FRANCOIS
| (See SPAIN Pace A-d0