After proving a great handicap to general Republican resistance throughout the Spanish war, Catalan regionalism thus again contributed to the Republican defeat in northern Spain and now creates a major problem for the remainder of the Republican Government. Observers predicted that when the eastern Republican army is evacuated to defend central Spain, many Catalan members of the army would refuse io be transferred. Throughout the war their refusal to other parts of Spain has greatly handicapped centralized Republican resistance.
Twelve hundred women and children and a second detachment of Republicans, largely comprising members of the International Brigade, also were permitted to enter France this afternoon, Republican soldiers are being sent to a concentration camp at Argeles. The main body of the Republican troops from the Ebro River front are expected to arrive at the frontier before dawn. They are marching only at night to avoid relentless attacks by Nationalist planes during the day.
French officials expected the armies from the Ebro River front to have tanks, artillery and other heavy munition supplies with them. They [will be taken over by the French Army at the frontier. Official French posts along the border today were assuming the appearance of international arsenals, being strewn with pistols, rifles and machine-guns of all makes and sizes.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.