Women Operate Factories for War Needs Hendaye, Jan. 17.
ENERAL Francisco Franco, leading his Nationalist forces on their "end the war" offensive against Barcelona, appealed to the the Republican capital to surrender today and escape "annihilation" at the hands of his Moroccan, Italian and Navarrese armies which were storming the fortified Republican outpost of Igualada, only 28 miles from the besieged capital.
While Gen, Franco spoke to the people of Barcelona by radio, Republican defenders of the city, fearing they were in danger of oetr.g trapped by a quick Nationalist thrust toward the coast north of the Gaya River, quickly fell ba ick to their last steel and concrete defences encircling the city as another Nationalist column cut down along the northern Mediterranean coast to place Nationalist troops dangerously near the city on three sides.
Republican troops fled into the surrounding hills" of Cervera Nationalist. forees pressed forward after capturing that elly. Spearhead attacks, gaining slightly inthe hills of Querall, took Santa Colona, de' Queralt, official reports from Bar-elon said today. Despite furious artillery bombardments, the coast zone ines remained unchanged with Republicans grimly holding their positions.
Nationalists, having taken, Tarragona, capital of Tarragona, Province; Tarrega and "Rous, important posi tions north of Barcelona along. the const, claimed to have occupied since Sunday 85 towns and villages within {640 square miles with a population of 200,000. Jubilant "celebrations were held throughout Nationalist territory, it' was announced officially.
Reports from both sides indicated today that the battle for Barcelona was expected to be the biggest of the campaign, Nationalists said they ex pected resistance to continue and Re-'Publican reports said 60,000 newly re-fruited soldiers would convert Barce-Jona' into. another -Madrid.—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.