After Castellon The insurgent forces in Spain, having taken Castellon,
are advancing south towards Valencia, but relatively slowly and in the face of strong Republican resistance. The last fortnight has been an extremely successful one for General Franco ; yet on a general view of the conflict in Spain the Government, even in defeat, need not be dissatisfied with the progress of the war. It is clear that it has achieved the decisive success of preventing a collapse of resistance after General Franco reached the sea, when he, his allies, and some of the Non-Interventionist Powers, were confident that the war could be ended in six weeks. At the present moment, six months is given as the minimum period for the duration of the war, and, to judge from events outside Spain, so long a period may be more than General Franco's chief ally can face with equanimity. Yet, despite the Govern- ment's recovery, it is clear that the success of General Franco's march to the sea has tried its strength severely, politically as well as militarily. This week Dr. Negrin has reported confidently on the condition of the armed forces and the defences in the separated area ; but returning sooner than was expected from his tour of inspection he stated to the Press that " the buzzing of flies has brought me back," and described the political situation in Barcelona as " dis- gusting." Such outspokenness may be a sign of strength rather than weakness, and Dr. Negrin's statement has been followed by renewed declarations of complete support from all parties and the National Committee of the Pratte Popular.
