NEWS OF THE WEEK
THE resistance of Madrid to General Franco's attack exceeds expectations, and it is clear that, whatever the immediate future may have in store, the first assault has definitely- failed. On Sunday General Mola declared that he would be in Madrid by nightfall ; on Wednesday the capital was in no worse military position than it was when that prediction was uttered, and the morale of the defenders had sensibly improved. It has not yet come to street-fighting, except in the outer fringes of the suburbs, and the citizens have liad ample time to construct barricades everywhere. But so far the defenders have held their enemies at bay outside the city, which is not yet completely invested, as is shown by the fact that in the last day or two reinforcements of some importance have been arriving from Catalonia. General Franco has no doubt not yet disclosed his tactics completely. He is reasonably well supplied with artillery, and if he cannot take Madrid by assault he has it in his power to destroy a great part of the city by bombardment. To avert that danger the Government troops would have to push the insurgents back some miles. But winter will be taking a hand in the campaign in a very few days now, and that may determine General Franco, whose troops, in thelr bivouac in the open, would be the greater sufferers, to carry out his threat to resort to more violent methods.
