CHINESE PREPARE TO DEFEND PEKING TO THE LAST

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22823, 18 December 1948, Page 5

CHINESE PREPARE TO DEFEND PEKING TO THE LAST

(N.Z.P. A.—Reuter—Copyright.)

(11.30 a.m.)

NANKING, Dec. 17.

Peking, the historic capital of China's imperial dynasties, is faced with the threat of becoming a major battleground as General Fu Tso-yi today began preparations which are believed to indicate he means to hold Peking at whatever cost, reports Reuter's correspondent in Tientsin.

General Fu has deployed troops and artillery at all strategic points in the city, and ordered the demolition of buildings in the immediate vicinity of the city walls which are likely to provide the Communists with cover.

Meanwhile, thousands of labourers are engaged in the construction of an airport within the very centre of the city, bordering the Legation quarter. The Nationalists recaptured points in a radius of three to six miles outside Peking but the Nanyuan airfield still remains within Communist artillery range and unusuable. Recapture of Peitang Claimed

General Fu’s headquarters, claimed the recapture of Peitang, eight miles north of Tangku, the seaport of Tientsin, but fighting is still going on in the outskirts of Tangku. In Central China, the Nationalist headquarters have been withdrawn from Pengpu, 120 miles north of Nanking, to Chushen, only 25 miles across the Yangtse from Nanking, according to reports which have not been confirmed.

A serious military situation for the Nationalists is developing in East Honan, says Nationalist ouarters. This follows reports two days ago that part of the forces of the Communist commander, General Liu Po-cheng, which have been encircling the Nationalist Twelfth Army Group, had suddenly withdrawn to the west across the Honan border. There is fear that these troops may be starting a drive on Sinyang, in southern Honan, and Hankow, the Yangtse port in Hupeh. Water and Power Supplies Waning The Communists yesterday penetrated within three miles of Peking city walls. Observers on the rooftops could see the approaching Communists The city generally is calm. althoi>;h the water supply is weakening and the electricity fading. The military spokesman in Tientsin revealed that about two Communist divisions are engaged in the fighting on the outskirts of Tangku, the seaport of Tientsin.

The Mayor of Shanghai, Mr. K. C Wu, announced he is raising an army of 60,000 locally-recruited men to defend Shanghai. He dismissed the talk of peace with the Communists as a “Red publicity offensive.” The Communist radio claimed that a Nationalist army group under General Huang Wei, encircled by the Communists south-west of Hsuhsien, was “completely annihilated.” The radio also claimed that in the Anhwei-Honan-Kaingsu border region, the Communists are tightening their encirclement around three Nationalist Army groups.