Manchurian Situation Critical for China : Russia Aiding Communists

Evening Star, Issue 26136, 25 June 1947, Page 5

Manchurian Situation Critical for China : Russia Aiding Communists

(Rec. 1 p.m.) NANKING, June 24. The Army Chief of Staff, General Chen Chtmyt, said to-day that the situation in Manchuria was critical, because the Communists were receiving substantial Russian help. He declared that at least 31 Russian advisers were with the Chinese Communists attacking Szepingkai, and Russian-trained Koreans were assisting the Communists in Manchuria. Russian ships carried Communist troops and supplies between the Shantung Peninsula and Manchuria. Major-general Hou Heishia, of the Defence Ministry’s Intelligence Division, told the Constitutional Enforcement Committee to-day that of the 800,000 Communists fighting in MafiChiiria, 600,000 Were Soviet-equipped, and 100,000 Were Korean Communists. Major-general Li Shutseng told the committee that Russia was training and equipping a large Communist force in Dairen and Port Arthur areas. He said the Russians planned tq ferry these units to the Shantung Peninsula. Despatches from Mukden report that Government reinforcements under Generals Sun Li Jen and Cheng Tung Kuo were closing in On Szepingkai from the north and south, and were expected to join the national garrison at any moment. In a formal reply, which arrived to-day, Russia rejected the Chinese Government’s protest over the clash between Chinese and Outer Mongolian forces, on the Sinkiang border. The Soviet Note denied that Russian aircraft participated.