GRE T SP IN•
ALL
S..
SAYS FRANCO
THE LAST TWO REPUBLICAN STRONGHOLDS HAVE SURRENDERED PEACEABLY TO GENERAL FRANCO, AND BEYOND THE POLICING OF IRRECONCILABLES, THE WAR IN SPAIN IS AT AN END. THE FORMER LEADERS OF RED SPAIN ARE EITHER IN FLIGHT OR HAVE FOUND REFUGE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
Since the fall of Barcelona at the beginning of the year events have moved quickly and the fact that Spain has remained divided during the last few weeks has been due rather to General Franco's unwillingness to use force unnecessarily than to any real opposition by the mass of people still under Republican domination.
IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE " CATHOLIC HERALD" ALTAR TO THE ENGLISH MARTYRS WILL VERY SHORTLY BE SET UP IN ONE OF THE CHURCHES OF MADRID.
Readers of the " Catholic Herald " subscribed 1.175 in February, 3937, for the building and erection of this altar. The altar has already been built and is waiting to be transported as soon as conditions permit. On it is an inscription recording in English and Spanish the history of the altar and its purpose of reparation for the desecrations against the Blessed Sacrament perpetrated in Spain by the Reds.
POLICE CAN DO THE REST
With the bloodless surrender of Madrid, capital city of Spain, and of 'Valencia, the Spanish conflict comes to an end. In a civil war in which one side triumphs completely there can be no question of any armistice or peace terms. The war ends with the effective ea,piiulation of one of the parties, and Spain is henceforth cut irely ruled by the victorious side. Any further local resistance will eall for polie. rather than military aetion. The surrender was effected On Tuesday morning. The Republicans abandoned their trenches and their arms, escaping in the direetion of the coast, by the different. gates of the eity. The Anarchists, it i reported, were the first to take to flight. • The Nationalists crossed the bridge of Toledo about 10 a.m. A little later the gold and scarlet colours of Spain were hoisted on the balcony of the Government Palace next to the white flag of surrender. • Other public buildings were soon flying the two flags. By mid-day the whole city was occupied. Crowds cheered the incoming troops. Soon the streets were gaily decorated with scarlet and gold, colours that must have been kept in readiness by secret Nationalist sympathisers.
By two o'clock the Nationalist authorities had taken possession of the municipal services. Electric light was restored, and heavy convoys of 'food were being brought into the city for the famished population.
Food Supply Assured
In a proclamation by wireless, .Melchior Rodriguez, member of the minority of the Municipal Council, announced that he had taken charge and confirmed 'functionaries in their posts : " I declare," he said, " that the re-victualling of the town is 'assured. Food will soon be distributed from the reserves brought together by the Nationalist Army in order to provide for the needs of the people of Madrid." At. three o'clock the Nationalists sent their first message from the Madrid Radio. " Resistance is now useless," the message said. " We make a new appeal to all to avoid the shedding of blood. When Franco promises pardon he stands by his word. It is useless to resist and we invite the Republican forces to surrender. without delay."
The members of the National Defence Council which put down the recent Communist risings under Negri'', fled to Valencia, where they met under the presidency of Miaja.
Valencia Surrenders
On Wednesday, Colonel Casado, War Commissioner in the Madrid Defence Council, ordered the surrender of Valimeia.
Crowds appeared in the streets, as in Madrid, waving Nationalist flags. General Miaja and other Republican leaders are reported to have fled either to Alicante or to Gandia.
Franco's " Fifth Column " in Cartagena, the great Republican naval base, started on Wednesday to overthrow the Red authorities.
Ciudad Real, Almeria, Tarancon, Guadalajara—one by one the remaining Republican towns declared tiwir allegiance to Franco.
Mr Noyes' " Voltaire"
STATEMENT BY CAR INAL H1NSLEY
We are requested by His Eminence the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster to publish the following statement : " The d.iffieulties consequent upon Mr Noyes book, Voltaire, having been found worthy of condemnation by the Holy Office have been happily concluded.
" In September last the matter was referred to the Westminster Board of Censors by the Holy Office, and a special commission was set up to consider the book. The competent authorities do not impute any unorthodox views by the author, and they have not asked for any alteration in the text of this book. It is unfortunately possible, however, in
reading passages of the book to misconceive the author's meaning and to attritnite to him positions which he does not and as a Catholic could not maintain.
"Under these circumstances the Westminster Ecclesiastical Authority decided, and the author readily concurred, that an explanatory preface to the new edition was desirable.
" In this preface the author has drawn attention to the pages in the book itself which should obviate these misconceptions.
" The ecclesiastical objection to the book is now met, and it should be made clear that Mr Noyes, whose services to literature and to the Church are well known, has written Voltaire in a spirit of complete Catholic loyalty.
" At the beginning of these difficulties His Eminence had already stated that he regretted alike the fact and the circumstances of the book's deletion. As the new preface to Voltaire makes clear the author principally wrote the book for the modern reader who is estranged from Christian and Catholic beliefs and Catholics interested in the period will appreciate its apologetic value."