Martial Law Imposed On All Nationalist China: Chiang’s'Fresh Reverses

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22817, 11 December 1948, Page 5

Martial Law Imposed On All Nationalist China: Chiang’s 'Fresh Reverses

(N.Z.P.A.—Renter— Copyrisht.)

(10.30 a.m.)

NANKING, Dec. 10

While the Nationalist forces continue to suffer reverses in Central China, General Chiang Kai-shek has extended martial law to all China under Nationalist control except the far-western provinces and Formosa.

Shanghai, Nanking and Peking have been under martial law for several weeks.

I Reuter’s correspondent says the Nationalists suffered a reverse today when the Communists surrounded another Nationalist force of undisclosed strength south-west of Suhsicn.

In the Kucheng region, the Nationalists are making little progress against the Communists in their attempt to drive westward towards the encircled Nationalist Army groups in the Anhwei-Kaingsu-Honan border region.

New Threat to Nanking

One hundred miles farther east,, another threat to Nanking is developing. Thousands of Communists have moved south-west into Lake Hungtze region about GO miles east of the Hsu-chow-Pukow railway. In North China the Communists tightening the ring around Peking, are now fighting between Hsinpaoam and Kangchuang on the Peking-Suiyuan railway, only 40 miles north-west of the city. This brings the north-western scene of hostilities 60 miles nearer Peking in two days. While Nanking maintains silence regarding the fate of three Nationalist Army groups surrounded by Communists ‘in Honan-Anhwei-Kiangsu border region, the new China news agency (Communist organ operating in Hong Kong) today claims that 30,000 of these Nationalists were killed or wounded and 10,000 officers and men captured. The agency places the Nationalists’ strength on the Honan-Kiangsu border at 200,000 and claims the Communists have now completely encircled .22 divisions in an area of 40 square miles. Break-out From Red Ring

A strong Nationalist Army, under General Chang Kang, had broken through the Communist lines in the Suhsien area and had linked up with the Nationalist forces in the north, said the Central news agency. The link-up cut off some 300,000 Communists troops battling in the Suchow-Suhsien-Yungchen triangle on the approaches to Nanking. The agency added that the link-up was made in the North Kiangsu Province, north-east of the main battle area.

The Chinese Communist radio in the southern Hopeh Province today vaguely blamed their losses in Hsuchow on a “new type of bomb which caused destruction of areas of five miles.” The radio did not give any details and this is the first mention of a new bomb by any source. The radio added that Peking and Tiensin would not be taken before March or May as the Communists “are too busy cleaning up the NankingShanghai area.”