CHINESE NATIONALISTS PREPARE TO FIGHT TO FINISH

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 14959, 23 April 1949, Page 3

CHINESE NATIONALISTS PREPARE TO FIGHT TO FINISH

Ciiimypisls Pouring Across Yangfse River Utmost Unopposed

NANKING THREATENED FROM BOTH WEST

AND EAST

London, April 22

The acting-President General Li Tsimg-jen, has flown back to Nanking' from a conference with General Chiang-Kai-shek, and has taken immediate steps to meet the Communist threat to the capital.

He has appointed the Prime Minister as supreme commander of the Nationalist forces and he has called on these forces to fight to the finish against the Communists. Correspondents say that the Nationalist defences are crumbling. Large Communist forces are pouring across the river almost unopposed and fanning out along the south bank. Nationalist troops arc everywhere reported in retreat, their headquarters moving away from the fighting and officials fleeing to Shanghai or the south. Nanking is threatened from both west and cast. Two Communist forces have crossed the Yangtse 80 miles to the south-west and are driving the Nationalists before them. On the other side of Nanking two other groups have crossed the river and according to some messages have captured Chin-kiang. Traffic on the Nanking to Shanghai railway is said to be at a standstill. Other Communist forces much closer to Nanking are attacking the Nationalist positions covering the capital on The north side of the river. The nationalists there arc also reported to be in retreat. Foreign embassies in Nanking have been advised to follow the Chinese Government to its new headquarters at Canton but the embassies have decided to remain.