PEKING MAY NEGOTIATE SURRENDER TO COMMUNISTS

Grey River Argus, 17 December 1948, Page 5

PEKING MAY NEGOTIATE SURRENDER TO COMMUNISTS

(Rec. 11.50) NANKING, December 16. Reports from American circles indicate that 'Peking may surrender to the Communists by negotiation. The United Press representative here says: The defenders of Peiking have withdrawn behind the ancient city walls, and have closed all of the gates to prevent Communist infiltration. An Associated Press dispatch from Peiking says: Communists have pushed close enough to level cannon on this city, but they have not done so. This fact alone gives an impetus to peace rumours. With guns booming a few miles away, the city is calm, and not jittery.

LONDON, December 15. There is a report that Communist forces have entered Peking, tire ancient capital of China, and captured General Fu Tsoyi, the Nationalist commander in North China. A Nationalist military spokesman in Nanking denies the report. A Reuter correspondent at Tientsin reported that Peking was completely isolated by land, while Tientsin has only a narrow corridor left linking it with the sea port of Tangku. Observers are nuzzled by the strategy of the Nationalist command, in view of the rapidity with which North China’s major centres have been cut off from each other without any semlancg of real battle, despite the known presence of strong Nationalist forces.