Evening star., 1939-01-23

BACKGROUND
InSnrgent Gen. Francisco
Franco more than month ago
began offensive to conquer Bar
celona and rest OF Catalonia and
bring ciDil Udr to quick end.
Loyalist forces haze been pushed
back steadily before adDdnce of
rebel armies from south, south
,Uest and DeSt.
Py the Associated Press.
HENDAYE. France, Jan. 24-The
Spanish government today ordered
evacuation of the civilian population
of Barcelona and procl .med state
Of war"-or martial law-throughout
government Spain in last stand
defense of the capital.
Insurgent armies drove to within
about Is miles of Barcelona on the
coast, and inland columns reported
advances.
The cabinet of Government Pre-
r1ier Juan Negrin declared that the
ministers themselves would remain
in the capital.
The nearest insurgent army had
pushed past Sitges, about 18 miles
southwest of Barcelona, and was said
by insurgents to be some Is miles
from the city. In the central section,
the insurgents were blocking off the
Lerida- Barcelona highway. One
column was said to be on the out
skirts of Piera, which is about 20
miles from Barcelona.
In the north, insurgents reported
they were fighting in the environs of
Manresa, about Is miles northwest
OF the government capital.
: Rebels Press on Steadily
Generalissimo Frances armies
pressed on persistently in the cam
paign to take the great coastal city,
which became the capital after the
government moved first from Ma
drid and then from Valencia to es-
cape the insurgent menace. Both
Madrid and Valencia remain in
government hands.
Insurgent planes bombed Bar
celona three times this morning
. following repeated air raids yes
terday which killed 40 and wounded
100 persons.
Meanwhile, the insurgent armies
which yesterday captured Sitges,
beach resort near Barcelona, pushed
along the coast and inland columns
copverged on the capital.
A cabinet communique from Bar
celona said the ministers appointed
a committee comprising officials of
the national government, the pro-
vincial regime of Catalonia and the
Barcelona city administration to
organize the evacuation of the
capital.
The announcement explained that
civilians otherwise would be ham
pered by the work of fortification
and defense"
Children and Aged to Leave.
With most men called to the colors
and many women working behind
the lines, the evacuation was ex-
pected to be confined largely to many
f, thousands of refugee children and
aged women who could be sent into
Northern Catalonia to escape air
raids and leave the defenders un-
hampered.
The government, while insisting
it would maintain residence" in
Barcelona, acknowledged that steps
had been taken ito face any event.
uality and to assure the continued
work of the administration"
For several days, it was learned
at the border, the government min
listers have been moving archives out
of the capital and provincial courts
already have been transferred to
Northern Catalonia.
Many prisoners formerly held in
Barcelona have been sent north
ward.
In case of actual insurgent entry
into the capital, government Off
cials were expected to follow this
movement toward the French from
tier. The mountainous region from
Barcelona north to the border Of
fered ample refuge in towns like
Corona and Figueras.
Retreat on Whole Front.
Along the entire Catalonian front,
these reports asserted, the govern
rnent defenders were retiring under