Madrid, Jan. 27.
Monster mass meetings by popular front groups in towns and cities throughout Republican Spain today pledged their support to the Republican Government and launched a drive to intensify resistance to the advancing Nationalist forces, accord. ing to Republican reports received nere today.
The Alicante authorities were reported to heve decided to replace all municipal employees with women and crippled war veterans in order to enlist all able-bodied men into the fight-ug forces.
The southern Republicans oppe o he facing almost unsurmount difficulties, in the opinion of neutr: military observers. With ihe Nationalis fleet in command of the Mediterranean coast, it is expected o be almost impossible to obtain war ind food supplies.
Neutral military experts here also expect a quick end to the war in northern Spain where almost 300,000 well-equipped veteran Navarrese, allan, Moroccan and German troops are attacking the ragged and weary Republicans. Reports from northern Spain today said Nationalist planes wt only were bombarding fleeing Republican soldiers with high explosives, but had also laid down a barrage" of propaganda through loudspeaker mounted in the planes. The Republicans were promised "fine food, peace and mercy" if they surrendered.—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.
