NEWS OF THE WEEK
THE "civil war within a civil war" that has been taking place at Barcelona in the last few days is unlikely to have any substantial effect on the general military situation, partly because the trouble seems to be already practically over, and partly because the support given by Catalonia to the Republican cause outside its own borders has never been considerable. To fathom the Barcelona dissensions completely would involve an exhaustive study of the divergent aims of the numerous factions into which the turbulent population of the city is divided. It is enough to know that the recent malcontents consisted mainly of Anarchist Federation members, that the Anarcho-Syndicalists resisted them, that the Government has apparently got the situation in hand and that a directorate, with the President, Sefior Luis Companys, at its head, is in control. With regard to the conflict generally the only events of importance in the past week have taken place in the Bilbao area, where, despite conflicting reports from the two sides, it appears that the insurgent force, consisting largely of Itnlians, cut off at Bormeo, a village at the mouth of the inlet running up to Guemica, is still isolated. Bitter fighting, with heavy attacks from the air on the insurgent side, is in progress, but the first force of the insurgent attack in the Bilbao sector seems to be spent. But the assault on the city is certain to be renewed.
