AMERICAN AIRMEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27390, 16 May 1950, Page 5

AMERICAN AIRMEN

Released By Chinese, Communists Rec. 11.15 p.m. HONGKONG, May 15. Two American airmen, William C. Smith and Elmer C. Bender, arrived in Hongkong today in the British merchantman Hunan after 19 months’ detention by the Chinese Communists. They left later for Pearl Harbour, where they will report to Admiral Radford. The airmen looked well. A Naval statement said they disappeared on a routine flight from Tsingtao airfield. The Communists alleged that the men were engaged on reconnaissance over China. New Railway Peking radio yesterday reported that 25,000 Communist soldiers have started the construction of a new railway in North-west China. This railway, 150 miles long, will connect Lanchow, the capital of Kansu Province, with the entire Chinese railway network through Tienshui, the western railhead of the present Lunghai line which extends eastward to the coast. Political observers in Hongkong see great significance in this project, as they believe it is the first section of a new line through Sinkiang to the Russian border. This would provide more direct railway connection with the Russian system than the present route through Manchuria. Hainan Casualties The Peking New China News Agency yesterday quoted an army communique as stating that the Chinese Communist troops killed or wounded 5416 Nationalists and took prisoner 23,885 in capturing Hainan Island. A Nationalist commando force yesterday landed on the Chekiang coast and captured many Communist soldiers and military equipment. The landing was made at daybreak near Shingshan. It is reported that Nationalist guerrillas recently caused serious disruption of communications leading to Shanghai.