MARTIAL LAW IN NORTH CHINA

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25660, 24 November 1948, Page 5

MARTIAL LAW IN NORTH CHINA

Big Ccmmunist Drive Expected

PRESSURE GROWS ROUND SUCHOW

, NANKING, November 22. “Martial law was declared on Monday throughout North China, including the cities of Peiping and Tientsin, to meet an imminent all-out offensive by Communist troops,” said the correspondent of the United Press. “The main Communist thrust is expected to be against the Tangshan coal area and Tientsin, from which the Communist forces are only 30 miles away. “To the south, round Suchow, it is reported that Communist pressure is increasing and that the Government forces have been unable to reopen the Suchow-Nanking railway. “A total of 162 American nationals left Shanghai for San Francisco to-day aboard a transport ship.” Fierce fighting continued oil both sides of the Lunghai railway east of Suchow, where two Government columns were trying to converge on the Janchuan area to rescue General Huang Po-tao’s army group, which is encircled by Communists, according to pro-Government dispatches. As the situation round Suchow took a sudden unfavourable turn for the Government, there were only scanty war reports and ng. Defence Ministry communique was available yesterday. Independent sources expressed the fear that the Nationalist troops surrounded in the Janchuan area were doomed. A Chinese Communist broadcast heard in* San Francisco, stated that the Communists had captured Paoting, capital of Chihli province. 90 miles south-west of Peiping. The broadcast said that the Government garrison had fled to the north, but this was not confirmed from other quarters. •