TO END CIVIL WAR

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 78, 12 January 1949, Page 3

TO END CIVIL WAR

Appeal from Nanking Yuan “DESIRE OF THE PEOPLE” (N.Z.P. A.—Copyright) (Rec. 10.10 a.m.) NANKING, Jan. 11, Coinciding with further deterioration in the war situation, the control Yuan, Kuomintang Government’s highest supervisory body, to-day unanimously decided to appeal for an immediate cease-fire to end the civil war, says Reuter’s correspondent. It issued a 5000 word declaration in* which it urged the Communists to adopt the same attitude toward peace as Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek has done and respect the people’s desire to end suffering through the war.

A group of members of the Control Yuan submitted for further consideration a four-point plan for peace. The Control Yuan suggested: Firstly, that Chiang Kai-shek, Sun Fo and th'a Communist leader, Mao Tse Tung be asked to end operations and as soon as possible send representatives to discuss concrete proposals for peace; secondly, that early discussion of peace moves be held with the inner Cabinet Ministers, Chang Chih Chung and Chang Chun and the peace advocate Shao Litse; thirdly, that ambassadors of a Big Four be interviewed to appeal for peace in the name of the people and - urged to transmit to their Governments the people’s views and begin mediation; fourthly, preparation of material for peace negotiations. The Associated Press coi’respondent says that Government officials stepped up their flight from Nanking as the Communist armies launched new of* fensives. Little more than a symbol of the Government remains in Nanking. Officials, archives and equipment are flowing out at a fast pace. It is reported that, as many as 50,000 Chinese are arriving in Formosa weekly from the mainland.

COMMUNIST SUCCESSES HSUCHOW GARRISON’S FATE (Rec. 11 a.m.) NANKING, Jan. 11. Military sources at Nanking said that the Nationalists had written off 200,000 of the Hsuchow garrison and Communist claims that it had been wiped out were substantially correct. The loss of contact between Nanking and the garrison signalled the end of the final week’s plan of the encircled garrison’s resistance and the defeat by Communists of the last large body of well-equipped Nationalists north of the Yangtse defences of the Nan-king-Shanghai area. There was some fighting north of the Hwai River to-day and observers said that heavy fighting south of Hwai could he expected soon.

Reports regarding the situation in Tientsin are at variance.

The National Broadcasting Company’s correspondent quoted a report that a cease-fire agreement had been reached in Tientsin which Communist troops have surrounded for several weeks.

The Associated Press correspondent at Nanking says that official sources indicated either that the Communists had occupied Tientsin or that terms had been agreed on for its surrender. The correspondent says that officials conceded “Tientsin is gone.” , Reuter’s correspondent at Tientsin, however, to-day said although firing has diminished around the city during last night the garrison authorities claimed that in severe fighting in the western suburbs this morning the Nationalists repulsed repeated attacks by Communists.