KAI SHEK’S CALL FOR RETREAT FROM MAINLAND

Grey River Argus, 13 October 1949, Page 5

KAI SHEK’S CALL FOR RETREAT FROM MAINLAND

N.Z.P.A. —Reuter,

(Rec 9.25) HONG KONG, Oct 12. Waichow, 55 miles north-east of the British border was captured by Communists yesterday, according to reliable Chinese reports.

In Northern Kwangtung, General Chen-keng’s Communist armies are reported to have occupied Tsingyuan 40 miles north of Canton, and to be now racing towards the refugee capital.

According to an unconfirmed report, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek has now ordered his trusted Lieuten-ant-General Liu-anchi to abandon Canton. This report adds that all of the Nationalist troops in the Canton area have been ordered to concentrate at Bocca Tigris, at the mouth of the pearl river, foi' evacuation to Taiwan and to Hainan.

Foreign sources in Canton said that there are all the indications that Can ton will not be defended. Swatow, on the eastern Kwangtung coast, has now been abandoned by the Nationalists, and the Nationalist commander in this area has been ordered by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek to evacuate all of the Rationalist troops to Taiwan. CANTON, October 11.

The Chinese Foreign Office is evacuating Canton to-morrow. Most of its staff will fly to Chungking. A number of foreign embassy and consular officials will leave for Hong Kong tonight aboard the British vessel Fatshan.

PAftlS, October 11

Three of the six members of the Chinese Embassy staff who yesterday switched their allegiance to the Chinese Communist Government, to-day switched back again, said Mr Tuan Mao-lan, Chinese Charge d’Affaires. A French police inspector, who went to the Embassy to-day to investigate the situation, found th e dissident faction still occupying their offices, while next door to them loyal members of the staff were carrying on as if nothing had happened. Mr Tuan told the police inspector: “This is ridiculous. There cannot be representatives' of two regimes under one roof. They must leave the building”. Mr Lin Chi-han, whe was Ministerial counsellor before he switched, said on behalf of the dissidents: “We await instructions from the Popular Government”. He refused to leave the building.

Religious Persecution By Communists In Ail Occupied Areas (Rec 11.5) VATICAN CITY, Oct 12

Tin Chinese Communists are now conducting a bitter fight against the Roman Catholic Church in the territory that is under their control, said a Vatican source, states the Associated Press.

In the small cities and villages, the Roman Catholic schools, “have become headquarters of ‘liberators’,” according to the reports received from the missionary organisations. In some of the cities the missionaries have been forbidden to ring the church bells and in many places the Chinese Roman Catholics are not allowed to pray together, or to attend Mass.