London, Mar. 23.
Recent bombing of Barcelona was to-day again raised at question time in the House. of Commons. The Prime Minister, Mr, Neville Chamberlain, said that no reply had been received from the Nationalist authorities in Spain to the protest addressed to them.
When asked for a definition of open towns and why Barcelona, in which were situated the seat of the Government, military bases, munitions factories, docks and railways, were so classed, he replied that the rules of international law as to what constituted military objectives were indefinite. Pending conclusion of an examination of the subject, which has been undertaken by Government departments, he said, he was not in a position to make any statement, One definite rule of International law, Mr. Chamberlain said; was that the direct and deliberate bombing of non-combatants was in all circumstances illegal. His Majesty's Government's protest was based on information which had led it to the conclusion that the bombardment of Barcelona was carried on apparently at random and without special aim of military objectives.
Replying to, a further question, Mr. Chamberlain said that the The central and north-western areas of war-torn Madrid were under the most severe Nationalist shelling in weeks to-day as Gen. Franco completed final plans for the Nationalist drive to the Mediterranean through Catalonia, An undetermined number of casu ties were suffered in Madrid when Nationalist shells shattered buildings and streets in the central part of the city. Inhabitants of the former capital fled to. bomb-proof shelters and into the subway for safety. Republican artillery batteries opened up a vigorous reply to the Nationalist shelling, Gen. Franco completed an air tour of the Catalonian front and was reported satisfied that the final drive for the Mediterranean could be launched immediately. Success of the Nationalist campaign would isolate Barcelona, Valencia and Madrid, breaking the Republican ter-Titory into two separate areas which would increase the difficulty of maintaining a unified command.
The next objective of the Nationalists on the Catalonian front was expected to be Valderrobres on the Catalan frontier. Occupation of the town would pave the way for a drive on Gandesa, Morella and Tortosa. front meanwhile opened a new offend Nationalist forces on the Huesca
sive which was believed an attempt to draw Republican attention from the lower Aragon front and permit the Nationalists to drive for the sea. Republican spokesmen' admitted reverses on the Huesca front, but said all Nationalist attacks on the lower Aragon "hàd been repulsed—United recent representations made to the Vatican were not such as to call for a reply but he understood that the Vatican was deeply interested in the prevention of air raids on the civilian populations in Spain and that they were no doubt taking such action as they considered best calculated to achieve this end.—Wireless through Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.