Dent Flattened

Clear weather, after 18 days of intermittent rains, last week enabled Rightist Generalissimo Franco to begin a drive to flatten out the 600 square-mile, cup-like Leftist salient in his central Aragon front lines. This runs from Teruel to the sea. 85 miles away. Some 10,000 Leftists holding the cup were in grave danger of being trapped as Franco forces, behind a punishing artillery barrage and air attack, rolled forward on both sides of the salient. After three days the Leftists backed out, allowed Franco to straighten his lines, which now parallel the vital inland Allepuz to Alcala de Chivert highway, still in Leftist hands at week's end.

On the northern front, rain continued to bog down all large-scale attacks. Bands from the Leftist "Lost Battalion," entrenched and virtually surrounded in the Pyrenees south of Lourdes, France, sallied forth in guerilla attacks, made no appreciable gains. As further encouragement to Rightist Franco the Vatican, following 18 months of semi-official recognition of his Government, this week granted him full diplomatic recognition.

From Barcelona last week came confirmation that while Leftist troops were busy with their retreat to the sea month ago. Leftist military tribunals were busy wiping out disaffection behind the lines. During April in Barcelona alone 135 death penalties were dealt out, 103 for "defeatism" and treason.

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