NEWS OF THE WEEK
THE Spanish situation has in the past week taken a turn distinctly more favourable to the Government and distinctly more reassuring to the world. It is more favourable to the Government because the notable successes gained north-east of Madrid have been extended and con- solidated, and other important gains have been achieved on the Cordoba front, with the result that the valuable Almaden mercury mines have been freed from the insurgent menace. Another Government advance in the region of Burgos is reported, and the Government fleet has for the first time for many weeks left port and shelled Majorca. There are many evidences, apart from the Italian defeat, that things are not going well with General Franco. The persistent reports of mutinies both in Spain and in Morocco, and of growing friction between the insurgent Spaniards and their foreign allies, are certainly not all groundless. The situation is more reassuring to the world because there is every evidence that the international control arrangements are working satisfactorily and no evidence that volunteers are going into Spain from any quarter. The public assur- ances given on Wednesday by the Italian Minister of Press and Propaganda that no more volunteers would be sent from Italy, provided other Powers observed the agreement, is of some importance. It is worth noting, moreover, that the French Foreign Minister, M. Delbos, felt able on Tuesday to look forward with some confidence to an agree- ment for the -withdrawal of foreign troops from Spain still being reached.
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