Chinese Red Armies Mass On Yangtse: Peace Terms Draft

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22889, 8 March 1949, Page 5

Chinese Red Armies Mass On Yangtse: Peace Terms Draft

NANKING, Mar. 6. Skirmishes between Communists and Nationalists are still proceeding five miles north of Kivachow on north bank of the Yangtse River, about 40 miles east of Nanking. Communists’ attacks on the Nationalist bridgeheads north-east and south-east of Nanking, massing by the Communist Commander, Chen Yi, of 300,000 men along the stretch of the Yangtze between Chinkiang and Wuhu and the mobilisation of the populace in the Communist-controlled regime north of the Yangtse to support a crossing are also reported.

As a counter-move the Nationalists rushed an infantry division to the bridgeheads, Nationalist naval forces have been instructed to tighten precautionary measures and the air force has intensified strafing. Meanwhile, in Nanking, the drafting committee charged with procuring a peace formula for negotiations with the Communists is reported to have worked out tentative plans for the reorganisation of the armies'to bring about peace. Under these plans, both the Communist and Nationalist troops would be concentrated at designated places. Neither officers nor men would be permitted in future to engage in political or party activities at their posts nor concurrently act as political officials.