CIVIL STRUGGLE IN CHINA

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24740, 4 December 1945, Page 5

CIVIL STRUGGLE IN CHINA

VIEW OF, COMMUNIST GENERALS

PEACE OUTLOOK “SERIOUS BUT NOT HOPELESS” -IN.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 7 p.m.) YENAN (North-west China) Dec. 2. The Chinese Communist Chief of Staff (General Yeh. Ching-yin) told a correspondent of the Associated Press that since Japan’s surrender there had been 80,000 casualties in the Communist and Nationalist forces. He estimated the Communists’ strength at 3 000,000 men and said they could sustain themselves over a decade without military aid from outside. He submitted what he said were captured Chinese Government documents ordering wholesale attacks on the Communists. However, he said, the outlook for peace, though most serious, was not hopeless. They did not yet regard the present fight as civil war. A total of 144 Nationalist divisions, totalling 1,200,000 men, were opposing the Communists, the major areas of conflict being central and south-east-' crn Shansi and Hopei, Honan, eastern Chekiang, southern Riansi, and southern Anhwei, and also on the PeipingSuiyuan, Peiping-Hankow. and Tien-tsm-Pukow railways, extending southward. General Chu-teh. commander of the Chinese Communist armies, said the Communists would not oppose the airborne movement of the Nationalists’ forces into other sectors of Manchukuo. He warned, however, that the Communists could not be responsible for the actions of popular armies or. the remnants of Chiang Hsueh-liang’s I forces. ■ HURLEY ATTACKED BY “PRAVDA” “ IMPERIALIST CIRCLES IN AMERICA ” (Rec. 8 p.m.) MOSCOW, December 2. “Pravda” accuses Major-General Patrick J., Hurley, former United States Ambassador to China, of being the mouthpiece of imperialistic elements in .the United States which are seeking to establish undivided American domination' in Asia and other parts of the world. “MajorGeneral Hurley’s resignation and statement were an original manoeuvre by the imperialistic circles, who under cover of criticism of professional diplomats not only defend an imperialistic policy but try to press it on the leadership of the United States," says “Pravda," U.S. AND SOVIET ZONES OF KOREA (Rec. 7 p.m.) SEOUL (Korea), Dec, 2. Lieutenant-General Hodge, the American commander in southern Korea, said that discussions were'proceeding between Moscow and Washington on the opening of communications between the American and Soviet zones of Korea, and also on freedom of travel between the zones and the unification of Korea's economic life. FOOTHOLD SOUGHT IN SUMATRA REPORTED EFFORT BY . JAVA INDONESIANS ißec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 2. According to the Hilversum (Holland) radio, leaders of the extremist Indonesian youth organisation controlling parts of western Java are now trying to cross the Sunda Strait and establish a foothold in Sumatra. The Dutch Fleet is patrolling the in an effort to prevent any Indonesian vessel from leaving Java. In Java sniping continues at Bandoeng, where British patrols are mopping up nests of Indonesian resistance. MORE ARRESTS IN JAPAN 59 PROMINENT MEN SUSPICION OF WAR CRIMES „ TOKYO, December 2. In the most important single list of war crime suspects issued so far, General Mac Arthur has ordered the Government to arrest 59 prominent Japanese, says the correspondent of the Associated Press. They include Prince Morimasa Nashimotp, who became a fieldmarshal in 1932 and was a Supreme War Councillor for many years; Koki Hirota and Baron Kiichirme Hiranuma, both former Premiers; Kiyoshi Goko, former president of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Company; Seihan Ikeda, the Mitsui banker who became Governor of the Bank of Japan; Chikuehei Nakajima, who promoted fighter aircraft production: Admiral Soetake Toyoda and Admiral Sankichi Takahashi, both one-time commanders-in-chief of the combined fleet and chiefs of the Navy General Staff; Field-Marshal Shunroku Hata, former commander-in-chief of the Jap. anese Expeditionary Force in China and a former Minister of War; Eiji Amau, the veteran Foreign Office spokesman; Masayuki Tani, who was Foreign Minister under Tojo in 1942; Inosuke Foruno. president of the recently disbanded Domei News Agency and a former member of the Cabinet Information Bureau; Matsutaro. president of the newspaper “Yomirui," who is also a former chief of the criminal section of the Metropolitan police. The correspondent, referring to the 71-year-old Nashimoto. who is a lesser prince, also to Goko. Ikeda and Nakajima, says that this is the first time a member of the Imperial Household and members of the Zaibatsu (great industrial and commercial families) have been ordered to be arrested. “ FRANCO’S SPAIN A DANGER” SPEECH IN PARIS BY “LA PASIONARIA ” PARIS, Dec. 2. “Franco’s Spain is a danger to peace,” said the Spanish Communist leader, Senora Dolores Ibarruri (known as La Pasionaria—the Passion Flower), at a mass meeting after the International Women’s Congress. “We want the Allies to create such economic and diplomatic conditions as will drive Franco finally from Spain and bring in a democratic Government instead." Senora Ibarruri, famous revolutionary leader, who went to Russia after the Spanish Civil War, was sentenced to 15 years’ exile, her property was confiscated, and she was deprived of Spanish citizenship.' KALININ SPEAKS TO YOUNG COMMUNISTS KNOWLEDGE OF OTHER COUNTRIES URGED (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, December 3. “Russian youth should strive to become better acquainted with the customs, cultures, characters, and people of other countries,” said Mr Kalinin, chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, in a speech to the Young Communist League. The'basic task before the Russians, he said, -was the fulfilment of their plans for post-war reconstruction, but international ties were developing very rapidly. More young Communists should be masters of foreign languages. International ties should be developed between the youth of all countries.