The Fight for Barcelona During the last week General Franco's
southward advance along the Mediterranean coast has been slowed down, but not held up. His forces nevertheless have been checked at certain points, and are continually exposed to flank attacks by the Republicans. On the other hand, on the Teruel front the insurgents have made an advance which more than compensates for the slackening of the Mediterranean conflict. On Saturday a surprise attack was launched, and by Tuesday it was announced that 300 square miles of territory had been occupied. There is on the face of it some basis for General Franco's claim to have won the war, and this belief is strengthened by the clauses in the Anglo-Italian agreement referring to Spain ; saved temporarily from financial, but hardly from political, bankruptcy, the Non-Intervention Committee is once more engaged in working on the British formula for the withdrawal of volunteers. The Republic has certainly suffered a serious defeat diplomatically as well as militarily : and it is likely to obtain no more satis- faction in Geneva than in London. At the same time it professes unshaken confidence, more particularly because the result of General Franco's successful advance has been to strengthen the political position of the Government in Barcelona. It is certain that even in retreat the Government will fight for every inch of ground, and in quarters where hope influences prediction it is suggested that the next stage in the war may be a Republican counter-offensive.
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