The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-01-18

LoyaliSt dispatches reported that rebels turned an intense lombard ment by air and artillery on the de- fense lines before Igualada but suf- fered big losses when their infantry sought to advance against Loyalist machine gunners. The infantry was thrown back, the dispatches said.
 Gains Are Made
 On the north wing, the insurgents apparently made limited gains and claimed that they had captured Pons. Loyalist dispatches reported their troops were making strong counter-attacks in the Pons area but it appeared that the insurgents held the city from which two roads lead to Barcelona by way of Igualada and Solsona, another important rebel objective in the north.
 Loyalist dispatches also reported severe fighting as rebels moving down from the north and eastward from Cervera attempted to take the town of Panadella, on the Lerida- Igualada highway.
 In the south-+hat IS, the n1oun- tainouS araa strstCGmg south from Igualada or fhe Lerida- Barcelona highway t. the Tgrga yona sector- the Loyallsts appeared to be en- trenched in u&W positions while the insurgents sought to consolidate their receIt gains sni move into position foe new attacks. FRANCE KEEPS HANDS OFF
 Paris, Jan. 18.-(UP)-The cab- met decided today to reject deh- nitely left wing demand that France go to the aid of the Spanish Loyalists.
 The cabinet, meeting as a formal council of ministers, approved a dec- laration on foreign policy to be made to the chamber of deputies on Friday by Georges Bonnet, for eign minister.
 The cabinet reaffirmed a hands off policy and continuance of non- intervention.
 The policy otherwise vigorously defends the integrity of the empire and refuses the slightest territorial concession. The government is will ing, however, to negotiate a work ing arrangements with Italy to give the latter special facilities on the Addis Ababa railway and the Port of Djibouti, it's terminus in French Somaliland.
 Cabinet Risks Life
 The cabinet decided to risk its life on a vote of confidence at the end of the debate on Friday, defend- ing its hands-off policy against the combined leftist coalition headed by Leon Blum. A majority of the cab met approved Bonnet's outline of policy, but it was not unanimous.
 The Communists and Socialists, continuing their campaign for open- ing of the frontiers, called a meet ing of workers in the winter sports palace for tonight at which a resolu- tion will be passed demanding aid be given to the Spanish Republi- cans.
 As soon as the French govern- ments decision was announced, Julio Alvarez Del Vayo, Spanish Loyalist foregm minister, announced at league of nations headquarters in Geneva that he would take the night train for Paris.
 Del Vayo said he would try to persuade the French government to aid Barcelona or allow the transit of war materials to Spain from out side France
 INSURGENTS SHIFT ATTACK
 Burgos, Spain, Jan. 18-(UP)- NationalistS shifted their main at- tack to the northern Catalan sec- tor today and reported capture of the town of Pons. The northern activity apparently was designed to straighten the long front extending from the Tarragona sector to the French frontier.
 Pons is an important crossroads center with two highway branches leading toward Barcelona-the ulti- mate Nationalist objective. One goes by way of Solsona, the chief objec- tive on the northern sector, and the other by way of Igualada, the immediate objective of the Nation- alists on the central sector.
 Another Nationalist dispatch an- nounced officially the capture of Caldellorcns and Caldellante, cut ting the highway leading from Santa Coloma De Queralt to Igualada. This announcement indicated that the Naticnalists were preparing for mass attack on Igualada on the fv10 In raaA fn no enafrs.m