CIVIL WAR IN CHINA

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24901, 14 June 1946, Page 7

CIVIL WAR IN CHINA

misunderstanding OVER TRUCE

(Rec. 11 p.m.) PEIPING, June 12. A Communist spokesman said that the Government commander in Manchuria, General Tu Li-ming, had abrogated Marshal Chiang Kai-shek’s order for the 15-day truce. The spokesman claimed that General Tu Li-ming had informed the truce headquarters that his troops had resumed the offensive. Chinese and American Government representatives at truce headquarters explained that a Chinese Government officer at an operational officers’ conference had intimated that ‘‘if the Communist forces in Manchuria continued attacking the Government positions General Tu would have to take action.” In transmission this report was transformed into “a Government representative read a cablegram from General Tu announcing that the National forces had resumed their advance in Manchuria.” Apparently it was a case of mixing the verb tenses. In Nanking the Minister of Information (Mr Peng Hsuen-pei) accused the Chinese Communists of “trying to cut China in'two.” He said that the Communists were utilising the current 15day tsuce to launch military surprise attacks. They were intensifying their offensive in east China with the object of gaining full control of strategic Shantung, where they were now massing for attacks on Tsinan and Tsingtao. Marshal Chiang Kai-shek’s Manchurian field commander had sent an ultimatum to the Communists insisting that they cease their attacks in northeast and withdraw from Lafachan. Mr Peng denied that the Government forces were attacking in east China as the Communists reported. He said that they were instructed only to defend theii' positions.