ACTIVITIES OF COMMUNISTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23279, 15 August 1945, Page 5

ACTIVITIES OF COMMUNISTS

, Tension In China Civil War Feared By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assu.—Copyright CHUNGKING, Aug. 13. Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, General A. C. Wedemeyer (U.S. Commander in China) and Brig-adier-General A. P. Hurley (U.S. Ambassador to China) conferred last night and to-day as tension between the Chungking Government and the Communists increased. There are indications that plans are being prepared for the rapid reoccupation of Japanese-held China, possibly with airborne troops,, when Japan surrenders. The swift occupation of keypoints by Chungking troops would reduce the likelihood of incidents. The Chungking Government stated that it is already alleged that the Japanese are turning over arms to the Chinese Communist commander, Chu Teh, and the Chinese Communist Party, with the object of creating a disturbance in China. The Communists are believed to want possession of all the main coastal cities, notably Peiping, Tientsin and Shanghai. The Japanese are known to have huge stores of munitions and supplies in the Shanghai area, which would be a tremendous advantage to any faction seizing them. The Vice-Minister of Information announced that Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek sent a message to Chu Teh last Saturday declaring that the Communists must never again take independent action, but must remain in the present positions awaiting further instructions. The Vice-Minister added that there would be no civil war. The Chungking correspondent of the Associated Press says that Chu Teh claimed that Communist troops had the right to enter and occupy any city or communications centre occuped by the enemy or his puppets, and to es-

tablish a military government. Many Chungking observers regard this as an open avowal of intention to seize strategic points and arms from the Japanes” in order to wage civil war.