NEWS OF Tim WEEK
THE success of the insurgent forces at Irun has tilted the general balance in Spain against the Government. The defence of the town has been stubborn, but the rebels, who are pretty obviously still receiving support from external sources, brought up reinforce- ments both of men and of artillery on Tuesday and made the outer defences of Iiun untenable. The fall of the town will in all likelihood involve that of San Sebastian, which will leave most of the Basque country in the hands of the rebels, and enable them to detach forces for the attack on Madrid. That at least is the obvious military deduction- tO.be drawn from the Irun success ; but in warfare of this kind the unexpected as often happens as the expected, and in various places, par- ticularly at Oviedo and Toledo, inipOrtant successes are so nearly in the Government's grasp that forty-eight hours may change the whole situation. Even so, the mere transference of particular towns from one flag to another does not necessarily bring victory nearer. What constitutes victory in this war, indeed, no one knows. The capture of Madrid by the insurgents would be the nearest approximation to a decisive stroke, for if a new Fascist " government were set up in the capital the question of its recognition by foreign Powers might soon become a practical issue. But fighting would still continue all over Spain ; that fate seems to be the lot of the unhappy country for many months yet, however the geneial tide of warfare goes.
