CHINESE ADMIT EVACUATION OF TWO CITIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 March 1948, Page 5

CHINESE ADMIT EVACUATION OF TWO CITIES

(Rec. 9.45 a.m.) NANKING, March 14'. ■ Kirin and Siaofengmen. were evacuated by Chinese Government troops yesterday, according to a communique. issued' by the Minister of JJational Defence. One hundred thousand of the population were evacuated with the army forces.:

The mass retreat began on March 9 and has been completed successfully. The decision to evacuate was taken: by the. Government as part of the strategy to strengthen the positions of Changchun and Mukden. • Meanwhile, fierce street fighting is raging -in the suburbs of Szepingkai with Government troops hotly contesting every house. The casualties on both sides are reported to be. heavy. A strongly-worded resolution, urging 1 the Chinese Government to demand the return of Port Arthur and Dairen from. Russia and, if necessary to make representations to the United Nations for the restoration of these two areas, was passed by the People’s Political Council.

The resolution stated that continued Russian occupation bf Port Arthur and Darien constituted an infringement of Chinese sovereignty and a menace to world peace. The resolution also demanded Soviet compensation for losses incurred and called for the cessation of Russian assistance to the Chinese Communists.