Evening star., 1939-01-29
Loyalists' Base -
On Coast Seized,
Insurgents Report
Rebels Expect Conquest
Of Catalonia to Ee
Finished in Week
3y the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
BARCELONA, Jan. 28-Insurgent
forces bent on conquest of the last
corner Of Catalonia reported tonight
they had captured Arenys de Mar,
coastal anchor of the governments S
new line, almost without firing a
shot. Arenys de Mar is % miles
northeast of Barcelona.
Insurgents said the government
opposition could be called military
resistance only by courtesy. They
said the Catalonian defense actually
had collapsed with the fall of BARGE
Iona Thursday.
Caldetas, just southwest of Arenys
de Mar, also was reported to have
fallen. Optimistic insurgents be-
ieve all Catalonia may be theirs in
another week.
A week ago the government held
what was considered strong de-
fensive line Is miles west and south
of Barcelona. 1t caved in Sunday.
Government troops retreated so fast
In many sectors, the insurgents said,
that Gen. Frances advance guards
were unable to keep in contact with
their enemy.
Pressure on Coastal Flank.
Apparently the greatest insurgent
pressure was on the governments
coastal flank. The communications
center, Granollers, IS miles west OF
Arenys de Mar, was reported more
than half encircled.
West and northwest the story
vas similar, although the insurgents
acknowledged there was some re-
sistance deep inland where the de-
fense line curved to the north
through the Pyrenees to the French
border.
The government army was equal
in numbers to the insurgents
about 100000 men-but, lacking
arms and ammunition. it was being
rolled back toward France.
Accentuating the lack of arms
was the governments loss of the
Barcelona -Sabadell-Mataro triangle,
q 75-sQuare-mile area north of
Barcelona, which was the heart of
the governments munitions in
dustry. There rebels hold great
factories and stores of war supplies.
Even in Central and Southeastern
Groir, hn oth of
In government control, government
forces were giving ground, the in
surgents said, and all the gains
made in the last three weeks by the
governments Estremadura cam
paign were wiped out.
Police Replace Troops.
Troops which Gen. Franco used
70 occupy and police Barcelona at
first we're leaving for the front to-
night having been 1eplaced by
police forces.
Breadlines were organized to func-
ton with drill-like precision for re-
lief of the hungry among the 1,500.-
900 people who remained in
Barcelona. The needy were fed two
meals of bread and milk today and
thanked insurgent benefactors with
shouts of "Arriba aspana!"-the in
surgent war cry which means Spain
arise!"
Thousands thronged the BARGE
Iona suhways carrying loaves of
bread and cans of milk. Barcelona
had been on war rations for weeks
while the insurgents were pushing
to the city. Soldiers guarded to-
days food distribution to prevent
the populace from storming supply
centers.
$4,000 Freed for Drive.
The replacement of soldiers by a
police corps of 1900 freed $4,000
OF Gen. Frances soldiers for the
drive northward into Catalonia.
Fragmentary reports said DR.. Juan
Negrin, head of the government
which fled Barcelona, held cabinet
meeting at Figueras. about 80 miles
from Barcelona and Is miles from
the French border.
Most of the government ministers,
It was said, had taken up quarters
In San Fernando fortress outside
Figueras. The ministers of war and
interior, however, were reported at
Corona, 20 miles south of Figueras.
Observers expected the war to
drag on In Central Spain toward
an inevitable government defeat.
The almost certain conquest of Cat
alonia would enable Gen. Franco
to turn to the Madrid, Valencia and
other fronts with 100000 additional
men.
IF the government could not ad-
vance in Central Spain with these
insurgent troops out of the fight"
the observers asked, then how can
they hope to hold out when they
are turned against them"