REDS MASSING TO ATTACK CHUSAN ISLES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23023, 13 August 1949, Page 5

REDS MASSING TO ATTACK CHUSAN ISLES

(10 a.m.) HONG KONG, Aug. 12. The Communists appear to be mounting a strong force to attack Chusan Islands, off the Chekiang coast, a key point in the Nationalist blockade.

Well-informed sources at Hong Kong disclosed today that two Communist armies, numbering about 40,000 men, are concentrating in the vicinity of Chenhai, nearly opposite the islands. The Nationalist garrison in the Chusan Islands is reported to number about 18,000 men. The Nationalist Navy, on the other hand, is actively extending and strenghening the blockade of North China waters. Several Shantung Peninsula ports have been shelled in the past few days. Reports from Canton say that in the Fukien Province. five Communist armies are gradually closing on the capital, Foochow. In North-West China, Communist forces are within 50 miles of Lanchow, the capital of Kansu. Chinese bandits have attacked three more ships on the Pearl River between Hong Kong and Canton in the past 24 hours. The ships returned the_ bandits' machine-gun and Bren-gun fire and escaped. . . Three passengers were injured. At least 10 ships, mostly carrying passengers, have been attacked in the past five days. Many ships have now fitted protective steel plates and carry ixtra guards.