Mao succession still unsettled

Press, 18 September 1976, Page 7

Mao succession still unsettled

NZPA Tokyo A seven - day period of mourning for Chairman Mao Tse-tung ended yesterday after hundreds of thousands of grieving Chinese had filed past his bier in Peking’s Great Hall of the People. A mass memorial rally will be held today to pay final tribute to the founder of the People’s Republic, who died on September 9, aged 82.

There has been no indicaition when the Communist ; Party Central Committee might meet to take up the task of naming a successor. Some foreign authorities on Chinese affairs have predicted a form of collective leadership may emerge to rule China for an uncertain period of time.

Peking has said nothing so far in this respect, except for an editorial in its leading Government, military, and party organs, that noted there are worthy successors to the proletarian revolutionary

icause which Mao pioneered in |China. The editorial named no names.

The official news agency, Hsinhua, told of solemn mourning services going on from early morning till late night at the Great Hall of the People, where Mao’s body iay covered partly by the red Chinese flag. Other thousands paid their respects at memorial services in cities, towns, and rural areas across China, Hsinhua said.

The agency said more than 110,000 people moved past Mao’s bier on the first two days of the mourning services, and there were estimates that half a million or more would have paid their respects by the time the services ended last night.

No foreign dignitaries were invited from outside China to attend the services for Mao. Hsinhua said that mourners could not restrain their sorrow as they stood before the catafalque, looking at J Chairman Mao’s kindly face and recalling his monumental contributions.

They expressed their deep I feelings in these words “Oh, I Chairman Mao, you haven’t ileft us. You will live in our hearts forever,” Hsinhua reported.