Gen. Francisco Franco Promises to Make New Spain a "Great Power"; Barcelona Claims Hendaye, Apr. 19.
'TRIKING DOWN the coast from Benicarlo, Nationalist forces today penetrated into the neighbourhood of Alcala de Chisbert, coming within' threatening distance of Valencia, only 65 miles south, Bent on trapping all available Republican forces by cutting off their avenues of escape, Nationalists plugged five main passes of the Pyrenees leading to France, the Bay of Biscay and Andorra.
Although an entire "Republican, Division under the command of Col.
Several fires are now raging in Garcia Gomez was completely sur various parts of the town. There is rounded a Solchamen, the Republi-searcely 2 building left without some cans walked out of' the trap by' marks of spoliation, while the ma-crossing the Pyrenees—United Press. jority are now mere ruins. The town Nationalists Under Crossfire has been entirely evacuated by the civilian population.
Barcelona, Apr. 20.
Despite repeated and increasingly} heavy Nationalist attacks southward, the Republican troops have not retreated from Tortosa, states the Republican General Staff which also claims that by a tactical movement the Nationalists have now been left with only a narrow corridor in the direction of Amposta and that they have been brought under cross fire.
Tt is officially stated here that in the recent balties on the Aragon front, 39 Italian and German airmen were' captured after their _machines had been brought down—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.