Rome, Mar, 27, 'Twenty-nine Italian emeers and 254 Blackshirt Legionnaires. serving with' (he Nationalist forces in. Spain have been killed during the current Catalonian drive, "an oficial report to-day states. The list of wounded Included 123 officers and 1,349 privates, Thirty-three were reported missing—United Press.
Sebastian Pozas, head of the Republi-tean forces, who was said to have ordered the" withdrawal after became evident the Republicans were unable to halt the Nationalist's steam-roller offensive.
Barbastro, 33 miles cast of Huesca, fell" into Nationalist hands after sweeping flanking. manquvre Navarese cavalry and Calician_brigades. National reports from Sara-'Gossa_ said Barbastro was in ames when Nationalist troops under Gen. Juan Moscardos entered the city. They said the Republicans had set the town afire before fleeing. The reports said the city was a "spectacle of ruin recalling Guernica."
'A. United Press correspondent who visited Fraga to-day was told by: survivors of the Nationalist bombing there yesterday, that 1,500 Republican. soldiers and 400 civilians had been killed "when 160 Nationalist planes aided the city in the most intensive enol attack in the history of aerial warfare.
Crushing Drive Continues U.S. Embassy Moving Hendaye, Mar. 21.
Foreign milliary experts to-day predicted that the Spanish Na-Uonalists would win the Spanish civil war within a month.
The Nationalist forces continued their crushing assault on Catalonia, driving crumbling Republican lines} into retreat at many points along the 125-mile front.
'A. dozen. oFyanizations comprising the Women's Anti-Fascist Front at Barcelona issued a manifesto to-day @emanding that all able bodied men rush to the front and halt those cowardly enough to give way before the claws of Germans, Italians and Moors" The manifesto said the women were prepared to operate Republican war industries "with the help of our children it necessary while the men ave defending. their Joved ones against the barbarous; The United States prepared to move Barcelona Embassy and Consulate Caldetas on the highway leading from Barcelona to the French frontier. All American nationals here wil be warned that they remain here at their own risk. Informed circles said the protection of Americans in Barcelona might be under the Jauspices of the British Consulate after the removal of the American JEmbassy. Ten American businessmen and newspaper correspondents were Reported prepared to remain.
Terrifle Bombardment Nationalist artillery kept up a'day-Jong bombardment of the Catalonian border, inflicting enormous dama; on many towns and villages. Nation alist, Moroccan troops occupied Mequineza, fourteen miles south Fraga, greatly consolidating the Nationalist drive toward the Mediter-
Retreat Admitted ranean, Nationalist troops continued to pile 'The' Barcelona Defence Ministry almost uncontested victories along. issued a manifesto admitting that the the entire 185-mile front.. Within 24 Republican troops were slowly re-hours, they were reported to have treating before the powerful Na-occupied nearly 125 towns and vil-tonalist land and air attack. ayes and thousands of Republican "The production of our war sup-prisoners, Huge quantities of plies factories Is not suifcient to cope: publican war materials also were with the huge quantities of Italian, Ported to have been captured by the war materials arriving for the enemy: advancing Nationalists.
Sally," the manifesto declared.
Nationalist troops which occupied "The Republican manifesto described Lerida to-day moved with remark-the valiant and desperate resistance able speed along the Braga-Lerida the Republican troops to motorized highway and from Masaleorreig in a Nationalist columns driving their: two sided attack on the strategic way across the "Curdial Plain en. town—United Press. route to Fraga, Cinea Line Unbroken Fearful Purge Dreaded
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.