WAR IN CHINA

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24711, 31 October 1945, Page 7

WAR IN CHINA

.Railways Cut By Communists BIG CASUALTIES REPORTED (N.Z.' Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) CHUNGKING, Oct. 30. According to an' official Chinese Government report, Communist troops have cut 100 miles of the Peiping-Hankow railway north of Tzehslen, seriously hampering the movement of the Government forces which are hastening eastward. Other dispatches report that Government troops are moving north of Peiping by rail to assume defensive positions along the Great Wall. A Central Government official in Chungking said that Communist Bth Route Army forces were entrenched in southern Manchukuo on the railway lines behind the three ports where the American Fleet was scheduled to land Chinese Government troops, The Communists had concentrated their forces at Chinchow, on the Peiping-Mukden line, behind the port of Hulatao; at Liaoyang and Haicheng, on the South Manchuria railway, beyond Yinchow, and at Fengcheng, on the AntungMukden railway behind Antung. Reports of growing warfare in the! Shantung, Shansi, and Suiyuan provinces of China picture a nation locked in an undeclared civil war. The Chinese newspapers have quoted I General Hsi-shan, Governor of Shansi, who is now visiting Chungking, as' declaring that Government forces have suffered 15,000 casualties in heavy fighting centring around Changchih, a strategic town of south-eastern Shansi, which was captured by Communists, who also lost heavily. Insistent unofficial reports are being circulated in Chungking that the Russians are supplying the Communists with captured Japanese war material. Tjr Sources favouring Marshal Chiang Kai-shek's Government expressed the opinion that the only way to unify China was to eliminate the Commu- ?. lsts > reports the correspondent of the Associated Press in Chungking. This could _be achieved in three to six months by a well-executed all-out campaign. They believed that Marshal Chiang Kai-shek would start a smashing campaign against the Communists if he were not apprehensive of the probable reaction of the United States and Russia."

LOAN TALKS IN WASHINGTON

"BRITISH DELEGATION

DISAPPOINTED" (R ™ l i p -?.' ) EW YORK > October 30. Ihe Washington correspondent of the New York "Herald-Tribune" says: British sources have commented that there is no hiding the fact that the British delegation is so far disappointed in the financial negotiations with the Americans. "The British delegation is reported 1° hav , e n£ e ££ r i id to London proposals for a 4,000,000,000 dollars loan at 2 per cent, interest with trade concessions, but not to have urged acceptance ?i? m £ ??. u £ c £ s are of the opinion that the British Government would make a final effort to obtain a lower interest rate and to alter some of the other terms." ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHJN U.S. ATTEMPT TO CONTROL STATE ALLEGED (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK, Oct 29. r* £ O3 P e °£ the , leaders of the Roman Catholic Church, in the United States are attempting to bring about Church domination of the State," says the St. Louis correspondent of the "New York Times.'" "They are also attempting to stifle religious liberty to the extent of threatening newspapers and radio sta-" tions with boycotts if they do not disseminate. views to the Catholics' liking. "The Rev. Dr. Bromley Oxnam, Methodist Bishop - of New York and president of the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America, told a Protestant mass meeting, which was observing 'Reformation Sunday,■ that 'serious tension is developing between Catholics and Protestants in the United States. This is. regrettable, inexcusable, and sinful. Protestants are gravely concerned over what they believe to be an attempt upon the part of the Catholic Church to exercise political domination ihere similar to the control exercised in many nations. Protestants will fight to preserve religious liberty, not only for Protestants, but for Catholics, Jews, and other faiths.' "Dr. Oxnam declared that Protestants opposed clericalism and American diplomatic representation at the Vatican, public support of sectarian schools, and Catholic support of Franco Spain." CRIME WAVE IN SYDNEY CASES OP ASSAULT BY GUNMEN (Special Australian "Corresp., N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, October 30. The last few weeks have seen an alarming increase in crimes of armed violence in Sydney, amply justifying the warnings issued some time ago by the commissioner of police on the danger of such an outbreak in the postwar period. This crime wave, whichin the last six weeks has reached unprecedented levels, coincides with discontent in the Police Force. Twenty-four cases of assault by gunmen and thugs have,been reported in the last fortnight. The police say most of Sydney's criminals are, armed, and as many are running short of money underworld gun battles are expected any day now. It has become increasingly difficult for Sydney's seriouslyunderstaffed Police Force to cope with-, the situation. . "One thousand more police are needed immediately to combat the crime wave," said a high police officer. "At I present the force is 500 under strength and resignations are expected to weaken it further." The official added that to prevent this drift and get recruits the Government must make conditions more attractive. It is stated that Sydney's Police Force is "seething with discontent" and resignations are "pouring in." The discontent is said to centre mainly on the claim that the police are overworked, receive inadequate pay, and are in insufficient strength to cope with the sudden rise of gangsterism. One police officer said: "Detectives and uniformed men are working overtime trying to beat off the crooks. Some plain clothes men are on duty 24 hours at-a stretch. So irregular has become their home life that they do not have a meal with their families for some days. The police take more risks than any other member of the public service and are mostly poorly paid."" A policeman receives 18s 7d (less tax) a day after 12 months' service. ; After all deductions from his pay a policeman gets 3d a day more than the basic wage earner. Criticising the State Government for delay in acting upon the police commissioner's warning, and in the enlistment and training of police recruits, the "Sydney Morning Herald," in an editorial, says: "If the wave of anarchy is to be averted the police commissioner must be given every facility to assist him in building up the force as quickly as possible." The Premier (Mr W. J. McKell) and the police commissioner will to-day discuss enlistments to the Police Force to combat the crime wave.