GROUND GAINED ON MINDORO

Southland Times, Issue 25550, 19 December 1944, Page 5

GROUND GAINED ON MINDORO

HEIGHTS SEIZED BY AMERICANS (Rec. 1.35 a.m.) WASHINGTON, December 18. The American ground forces on Mindoro Island have seized commanding ground six miles beyond San Jose and their hold on the southern part of the island is now secure, reports General Douglas MacArthur’s communique. Enemy air activity is negligible. The construction of aerodrome sites is proceeding. . . On Leyte, the 77th Division, in a wide encircling movement to the west, outflanked the Yamashita line north of Ormoc. It has advanced seven miles to the north and is now within two miles of Valencia, the headquarters of Lieutenant-General Suzki, Commander of the Japanese 35th Army. The Ist Cavalry Division advanced two miles and cut the Yamashita line _ between Mount Catabaran and Valencia. EQUIPMENT CAPTURED

The 32nd Division, advancing along the Ormoc corridor, captured large quantities of ordnance, including tanks, artillery pieces, mortars and machineguns. The enemy left 2012 dead during these actions. As an offensive cover for 'the Mindoro operations, United States air units are hammering Japanese airfields and shipping.

CHUNGKING REGIME ACCUSED

Defeatism Alleged By Communist Leader (Rec. 9.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, December 17. The Chinese Communist leader, Mao Tsetung, announced to the Second People’s Congress that the negotiations between the Communists and Chungking had not attained the least result, says the Yenan radio. He called on the Chinese in Chungking-controlled areas to support the democratic patriotic movements against the reactionary authorities.

Mao said there was little hope of accomplishing the desired unity by negotiation. He accused the Chungking regime of defeatism and obstinacy in holding to a one-party dictatorship and appealed to the people to demand a national convention of all parties in order to obtain a demorcatic coalition. Mao claimed that the Yenan regime alone had carried out Dr Sun Yat-sen’s principles. The Communists had been able to unite people from all walks of life into a heroic army, which had shattered all enemy offensives and was now about to launch a counter-offen-sive in order to recover the vast lost territory. Mao warned that the Japanese would certainly resort to strategems to induce the capitulation of the Chinese Government.

MAJOR BONG SCORES AGAIN

(Rec. 7.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, Dec. 17. It is announced at General Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters that Major Richard Bong brought his bag of Japanese planes to 39 when he shot another one down in a sweep over Negros island, supporting the Mindoro landings. Major Bong is the leading American air ace of this war.