Salt Lake Telegram | 1936-09-23 | Page 1 | Madrid Army Fighting with Back to Wall

MADRID lADRID ARMY j. j FIGHTING WITH I. I BACK TO WALL F- F Column Nears LL Toledo in Crucial i Campaign I By United Frew PreM I j The Madrid government fought Bought with i its s back to the he Nail paU all today its existence gr graveT grave gravelly grave grave- ve- ve 1 lly fy T endangered by the relentless relentless relent relent- less drive of trained revolutionary revolutionary troops and air forces i toward Toledo and Madrid 4 Despite government resistance nd optimistic reports of victories R which escaped censor- censor indi indicated ted rebels were vero irre- irre i advancing ad on Toledo f Rebel headquarters at Burgos said Insurgents were fighting the government govern govern- r ment meat defenders in the streets of ot To To- 1 ledo l do Unconfirmed reports on the other t hand declared that loyalists had captured the Alcazar in which reb reb- ila ls have stood firm since the out out- jf break of the revolution although the has been shattered by hwo two TNT mine blasts and constant f r ar bombardment and were organizing a a powerful defense of Toledo ft The right wing fascists threaten r to cut off the Toledo army from to cut t off Madrid from the f feast ast ast c coast ast then tren to take Madrid at t 14 their leisure Pl Flan m Last Stand Standi i The go government t called on every ble ble bodi bodied d ma man to join in in n the defense dei de de- i tense of the e capital Every v ry dispatch i t from the capital indicated the leftist left left- j 1st leaders plan a finish fight If r they go through with it they ma may t have to await their own capture in J complete isolation and certain exe- exe 1 a- a Dispatches from Madrid inti- inti t g mated that neutral opinion is that r the end may be near unless the left- left can stop within a matter t Of of a d day or or two the double rightist v drive on Toledo and Madrid from fromI I he e Toledo front fi q General Jose Miaja naja the ablest of the army men men who did not join the 1 revolutionists evol was was was' summoned to Madrid from the eastern zone and pit It was reported he would be entrusted en- en entruSted trusted with supreme command It was asserted the leaders would to tight fight to the death That death Would be the penalty for defeat was nade certain when Rafael Rafa l Salazar Alonso former form r minister of interior Inferior Y Wa s executed at the model prison a HU ILLS trial and conviction was an open challenge to the rightists i The government was hard pressed en cn other fronts in addition to the Maqueda region There was j j heavy fighting in the Guadarrama Mountains north of at Madrid where t the rebels are w waiting to drive SOuthward while their Toledo forces lire Ire are d driving l ing from the other direction Rightists ts on Offensive e The he e situation on the Aragon front was similar Although Al- Al though the government claimed to toj j be holding its Its' lines an official com com- from Madrid showed the 1 were on the offensive all j ng g the front The admitted a Zeat battle In the Somosierra Ion north of the capital The rightist drive on the north toast toward Bilbao continued un- un dimInished Greal Creat Britain suspended all money ey order services between cn Brit Brit- i and Spain and Spanish posses posses- posses ions Mons Portugal in man an official state- state declared that the rightists Were against communism Uruguay ay severed relations th VI the e leftist government because w Of the we e execution of three women