Hendaye, Jan. 9. EN. Francisco Franco's "end the war" offensive advanced rapidly along the entire 150-mile Catalonian front today as iblican forces were reported to be in full flight toward defence positions, The Republicans, their lines pierced columns of seasoned Nationalist troops, abandoned large war materials' when they left positions they had held head of the Nationalist offensive was in the strategic ae where Gen. Franco's troops were reported to have Segre River after constructing two bridges. After eria highway in f the river, the Nationalists continued ten miles along the lull pursuit of the Republicans. Nationalist planes, mostly of Italian make, dumped tons of bombs on important Republican cities including Valencia. Thirty bodies have been recovered from battered Valencia buildings and more dead are expected to be found.
Among the dead and wounded were inmates of a crowded prison.
Republican reports admitted broad Nationalist advances. The strength of the Nationalist offensive, it was believed, indicated that Gen. Franco was not withdrawing troops from the Catalonian front to reinforce Nationalist lines on the south-western front where a Republican counteroffensive has met with considerable success, The Republican attack was regarded as an attempt to divert Nationalist forces from the hard-Segre River front and thereby halt the Nationalist drive toward the Mediterranean.—United Press.
Nationalists List Gains in the cially those of air.
unformed quarters anticipate wil declare that and Navy aircraft be quadrupled in the next Ge 00 pilots, and even a of mechanics, be Saragossa, Jan. 8.
Following occupation of 23 villages in Catalonia on Sunday, the National-sts today claimed they had captured 107 villages since their big offensive began seventeen days ago. They claimed thereby to have occupied 2,600 square kilometres of territory.
'A total of 28,500 Republican troops were taken prisoners in various engugementsto date, the report claimed, and that Nationalists brought down spun additional infantry $100,009. p an far more iht new air bases Colonel Charles Lindbergh recommending the ex-Meo facilities "in the interests of United States aircraft pro-
of
plans through which the Army and report ME Sei th formulation of uri e develop "adequate and 94 planes, They were certain of this number and also believed another 24 planes were brought down but had no confirmation.
Nationalist vanguards, the report said, are now eight kilometres from. Mont Blanc, ten kilometres from Falset, seventeen kilometres from Cervera, twenty from Ros, 32 from Tarragona, ninety from Barcelona and 140 kilometres from Gerona—
United Press.
Tarragona Threatened ition was based on Pres-Jos s recent plan for in-mumpers of men both to produce aircraft.
European Powers are at Pirerat: building programmes which P in relatively large ini prosecuted under feverish pressure," the report pointed out—"United Press.
Saragossa, Jan. 9.
The Nationalists now occupy Vilanova de Prades, which is about nineteen miles from the Mediterranean and 24 miles from Tarragona.
General Franco's major offensive against Catalonia, now in, its third week, has broken the back of Republican resistance in the plains of Urgel, it is claimed here. Difficulties ahead, especially along the front in the northern sector, are not dis-
Largest and Fastest Ever Contemplated for Navy New York, Jan. 9.
Designs for the two largest and fastest. battleships ever to be built have been completed by the Navy Department, according to the "New "York Times."
The-plans, it says, will be submitted to Congress as part of the 1940 defence programme. They call for two 45,000-ton ships, each equipped with nine 16-inch guns and capable of developing of 30 to 33 knots. "This, the "New York Times" declares, 3 is a victory for the "high speed" school of thought in the Navy, any iously contempt! in as these vessels would be faster r than noficia] estimates of the cost of capital ship. these ships range from $90,000,000 to $110,000,000 each.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.