Nationalist Leaders Perturbed

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26472, 28 May 1947, Page 5

Nationalist Leaders Perturbed

EARLY PREDICTIONS FALSIFIED Rec. 9.30 p.m. NANKING, May 26. Chinese Nationalist military leaders are plainly concerned over the recent developments in the campaign against the Communists. Neutral observers feel that the Government has y cause for anxiety over the lack of d decisive military success thus far and point out that the Nationalist leaders early this year predicted that the mam Communist forces would be defeated in three months. This period has almost expired, and the Communists are obviously far from defeated. The Government has cleaned up much of North Kiangsu, half of Shantung and captured Yenan. These gains are important, but the bulk of the Communist forces are still fighting, and the Communists have been compensated for their losses by expanding their domination of Shansi, cleaning out Targe sections of North Honan and threatening the whole Government position in Manchuria. The Government has lost heavily in men and materials and is suffering a steady depletion of its stocks of arms, ammunition and vehicles. The Communists are now fighting a more orthodox type of warfare in Manchuria, and reports are circulating that troops have been training in 12 Russian training camps in North Manchuria during the winter. The Government is also worried by the increasing tendency of Nationalist troops to surrender, along with their ammunition and equipment.