The Fate of Madrid Apart. fipm . one successful counterlittaek,
by the Government troops in Madrid the advance of the insurgents on the capital has been methodically pursued in the past week, and the capture of the aerodrome of Getafe, eight miles from the centre of the city, on Wednesday has inspired General Franco with the hope of capturing Madrid before this week ends. That sounds exaggerated optimism, for unless the morale of the defenders is broken by air-raids, of which there is no sign at present, a prolonged phase of street-fighting seems probable. Barricades are already being thrown up in the suburbs, but the advent of the tank has reduced the resisting power of barricades substantially. Barcelona may become the last centre of organised resistance by the Government forces, though guerilla warfare will no doubt continue all over Spain for months to come. There are rumours of an air-attack en masse on Barcelona from Majorca, but news from Majorca should be accepted with considerable scepticism. Whatever may be happen- ing in that island, there is still no convincing evidence that war-material in any formidable quantities is getting into Spain from outside, for the charges and counter- charges advanced by Germany, Italy and Russia before the Non-Intervention Committee in London have almost all broken down for lack of proof which any impartial tribunal wouldTaccept. Developments in Spain itself may soon makethe work of the committee irrelevant.
* * * *
