Unless something in the nature of a miracle happens the fate of Barcelona seems to be sealed, for the defence which it was hoped make of that important city has been reduced toa débicle. Of the gallantry of the Republican forees there can be no question. Against highly trained, and well-equipped farmies they have been' able only to oppose Taw troops, and poor equipment, and the manner in which they have fought must not only arouse praise for their bravery, but also ive a very' fair idea of their desperation, Despite their efforts, however, Barcelona is all probability doomed, and while it is to be expected that the Republicans will contest every inch of the city, it should be only a few days before the rebels are in full control. With the insurgents as close to Barcelona as the coastal fort of Monjuich, just a short distance to the south of the city and less than mile from the port itself complete command fof communication with the sea has been' obtained, and if the troops in Barcelona decide 10 continue their struggle to the bitter end—and that apparently is what they are tent upon doing—any hope of receiving reinforcements by water must now be abandoned. At the time of writing it did not sem as though the city had been completely invested, and that the route to the north was still open, though even then it is to be believed that the roads are under artillery domination from the heights to the north and west of Barcelona, In the circumstances, therefore, it may be possible that the decision to stick it out in Barectona has been forced upon the garrison by the swiftness of the latest developments, for once the main defences of the city have been breached, and the place itself rendered practically untenable, "military—prudence would have suggested abandonment of the port and withdrawal northwards, where there might have been some slight chance of continuing resistance. As it is, unless the defenders are persuaded to surrender, there is every possibility of Barcelona being the scene of a ghastly carnage in which combatants and non-combatants wilh suffer alike.
General Franco has to all intents and purposes succeded in his gamble. Upon the commencement of his offensive just before' Christmas. the Republican armies sought. to create a diversion by attacking insurgent Positions in south-west Spain, and though the Republican forces actually got to within about 25 miles of Cordova, they did not at any time present such a threat to General Franco as {o force him to withdraw troops from the Catalonian front. "The speed with which he advanced on Barcelona has destroyed all hopes of the counter-offensive now proving! successful, and it may reasonably be expected! that within a comparatively short while the whole of Catalonia will have been subjugated, There seems to be a tendency on the part of some European observers to believe that this! will bring about the end of the Spanish Civil War. That may not prove to be the case. The Republican Government stilt hold an im portant portion of Spain, even if by now itis rather less than one-third, and it is to be! expected that it will continue to resist. With the complete reduction of Catalonia, which will probably experience the fate' of the Asturias and the Basque Provinces, General Franco will be able to liberate much of the large force which he hax been using in northern Spain, and they may be used for the purpose of driving a deep salient into the Government northern line, probably from. Teruel, simultaneously with another similar movement eastward from Cordova, which, if Successful, would have the effect of squeezing ut the irregular salients, the one south of Toledo, and the other, and much smaller one containing Madrid. An insurgent movement south from Toric! would shave the effect of culling Madrid's line of communication with Valencia, and were this done the reduction of the capital might very well prove an easier {ask than it has up to the present. Providing the loss of Barcelona does not have too serious! in influence on the morale of the Government troops it is possible that they may be able to prolong the strangle indefinitely, and_ to] believe that the capture of Catalonia is likely to bring about an early conclusion of the war is to indulge in an optimism which is not at present justified, It Is generally expected that these latest developments, however, will have a decided feffcet pon the general situation in Europe, fand that new demands by the totalitarian states may soon be expected. In this con-Rection there is much speculation as to the next moves to be made by Germany, whether nation will again raise the colonial problem, which it has been stated on behalf Greai Britain, is no longer a question of practical polities, or whether Herr Hitler wil turn his attention to eastern Europe. It is obvious that with the simullancous raising of Talian demands, it is hoped to present the democracies with such a set of serious diffi culties that one or other of the parties to the Rome-Berlin axis may hope to wrest further fsoncessions. It is a. pretty game, and one Which up fo the present has been productive of results, but there is very little evidence now available to show that this particular form of procedure has about it anything like the promise which it had last year. The Fecent firmness which France has shown in the Franco-Italian dispute is clearly indicative of the fact that that nation's patience is well nigh exhausted, and that in defence of its colonial integrity France is prepared to ght. It might very well prove to be the ease th: should this occur Herr Hitler would be more impressed by the profits to be gained in an adventure into Ukraine, than those resulting, from military assistance to his ally. The general situation, therefore, may be said to depend upon which of the two totalitarian. states wishes to be served first; Logically German expansion along the lines which are anticipated is of more immediate importance to Der Fuhrer than anything which Italy might hope to gain, and if Italian aspirations are again to be denied, while the German ap~ petite is satisfied, it would not be the first occasion on which Italy has received the worst the deal.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.