More than 7,000 Italian troops fighting for the Spanish Nationalists were reported concentrating on the Guadalajara front to-day in preps tion for a major offensive on Madrid, the second since the disastrous Nationalist route of March, 1937.
Many Italian war planes were reported to have arrived at Seville and four German merchantmen were said to have been seen discharging war materials at Cadiz. Both the planes and war materials were believed destined for use in the imminent Madrid drive.
General Francisco Franco, Nationalist generalissimo, was reported to be massing his heaviest artillery and thousands of reserve troops on the Guadalajara front to join in the giant' offensive.
Neutral reports received here said General Franco was convinced that Madrid would have to be occupied by Nationalist troops before Loyalist resistance could be broken.
Reports of fresh shipments of war supplies to the Nationalists by Germany and Italy led observers to speculate whether Herr Adolf Hitler and" Signor Benito Mussolini were attempting to bring an end to the Spanish civil war before Anglo-h efforts to promote withdrawal of foreign volunteers from Spain could become effective—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.