The high hopes which were roused in the breasts of the supporters of the Republican Kovernment of Spain, following the defeat General Franco at Teruel in January, have been dashed to the round by" the events of the last week or so, They were considerably diminished by the recapture of Teruel by the insurgents, but the recent rapid advance on Catalonia, and the new developments in Huesca suggest that, at any rate for the moment, General Franco is in a winning vein, and that unless the re~ publicans can make a better showing, than they have been latterly," the end of the struggle in Spain will become 9. foregone conclusion, and only a matter of time. The renewed rebel activity in Huesea is for the purpose of attracting more government forces from the lower Aragon front. and thus assist the insurgents on their" drive through Catalonia to the Mediterranean coast. That would mean the splitting of the Government forces into two, and depriving them of the unity of command which they have had up to the present, and cutting, rvelona from Valencia and Madrid, except by the sen route. The subjugation of Catalonia is one of the most important aims of anybody who seeks to dominate the whole of Spain, for the Catatonian separatist Movement was the most important of the several which marked the history of Spain prior to the establishment of the Republic was the Catatonian nationalist. movement which played so considerable a part in the events which led to King Alfonso's downfall, by its demand for the dismemberment of the country. After the revolution, Now= the uecession to power' of a Socialist Government, the industrial workers of Bareetona—the loryest city in Spain—in opposition to the peasants and middle st of Catalonia, stood for In the event of General complete control of Spai Catalonis will still desire separation: it only wishes fur union ina socialistic Spain. The province is, therefore, the main spring which tes socialistic. Spain, and its subjugate jon would be the most important factor in weakening the rest of the republicans, General Franco in the last (we months thas stayed a great comeback, From what looked like defeat the prospect hax now beet transformed into one of a possible" veto for him, due undoubtedly. the very lar amount of material assistance—which hi been given him. The sharp savage thrust which "he has made down the River Ebro has brought him within easy distance of the coast, and should he succeed in capturing Valderrobres, "Ime will have secured valuable ju 1 place from which te make the we which should him Tortosa, some miles inland from "the mouth of the Ebro. The complete—cutting off of Barcelona would then, in all probability, be @ matter of a comparatively short time The of the republican armies would be ly hampered, for it would be possible to move reinforce ments from one part of the front to th other with the rapidity which has be possible until now, and Catalonia would have to depend upon her own resist the attempts General The on. Wedin nature of a demonstration for the purpose of dissuading the Government from trans erring troops in that sector to north of Uh Ebro ty meet the threat in Huesea and lower Aragon, and even to reinforce the troops Struggling to prevent him reaching the sea That they need reinforcements—is clea from the report that despite the fact that
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.