SPAIN: On to Santander

At long last, on the 80th day of siege, last week Bilbao, the city that has scorned capture for 700 years and the motto of whose red, white and green flag was INVINCIBLE, fell. At the end hardly a shot was fired. But every bridge across the Nervión River had been blown up as was the great Guecho arms factory, one of the prime prizes in Franco’s drive on Bilbao. As was expected, Anarchists ran berserk for a few hours before the city was abandoned, murdered many a suspected Rightist sympathizer. As the Rightists moved in a few faces scowled from the sidewalks, but for the most part Bilbaína housewives who stayed in the town greeted the invaders with shrill enthusiasm. For week after week they had lived largely on constant gunfire and bombing. For a while at least there would be an end to fighting.

Loudly the Italian press hailed the occupation of Bilbao, second seaport and seventh city in Spain, as a great Italian victory and complete revenge for the rout at Guadalajara, but in Bilbao itself Rightist General José Fidel Davila, knowing the growing unpopularity of all foreign troops with Spaniards of either side, was careful to keep the Black Arrow Italian division well in the background. It was the red berets of the Carlist Royalist militia that first appeared in the streets, patrolled the city.

Not one word last week came from youthful President José Antonio de Aguirre y Lecube of the Basque Republic who had fled with his Government. For all he was worth Generalissimo Franco pushed on to Santander knowing that every day’s delay would help Santander rally its defenses. Cracked soon it had to be if Spain is to be conquered and Madrid captured this summer. Leftist Madrid has talked of taking a general offensive ever since the Negrin Government came into power in Valencia. Lack of material and properly trained men has always been the Leftists’ greatest handicap. But time is on the side of the Loyalists, Generalissimo Franco knows, and if he wins his war he must win it soon.