THREAT OF VAST INUNDATION IN CHINA

Chronicle (Levin), 7 January 1947, Page 5

THREAT OF VAST INUNDATION IN CHINA

m> - — — Received Monda-v, 9:50 p'lm-.. NEW *Y()R-K, Jan.. 5. The innndation of vast stretches oT Comnuniist torritoiy hiHabite'd by hun dreds of fliousands of people is threatoned by the elosing of the In'earhes in the Yeliow River dyke nesnMaifeng, accofdirig to rl'nng Pihwu, the Comnumist spokesnvan, in an appeal to Ihe Pnrra director, Alajor-G'oneral Gl'en Edgerton, says the New York Tinu's '> Nanlcing correspondent. The sealing of the breaks in the dyke, whieh was made to divert the river across the path of fche Japanese armies dtiring the war, was begun last week after a year's preparatorv work. Repairs are being effected with titi? assistance of Pnrra. The closing of the dyke will turn the river 's waters from their wartime eourse across the lionan and Anhwei plains in Nortli Kiangsu to the prewar channel running through Chantung in the (lulf of C'hihii, Hundreds of thousands of acres or fertile farmland will be reclaimed in the south, but Ihe diverted waters will (low across an area w.here it is estimated that 350,000 peasant.s- have settled and whare the crumbling em bankmenfs will permit the waters to Isweep through ihe Shantung eouivtryside. The lands to be restored are abnost wholly under Government control wliil'e Ihe old channel mostlv runs through jGommunist territorv. Tung alJege« that the Government failed' t'o provide rthe promised supplies and funds to ienable the. settlers to be moved aml 1 repairs to be made to the embankments which would have permitted Coinmmi- ; ist territories to be ready for the river diversion. Tung has appealed foi tlie dyke repairs to be, halted until live montlis or that Unrra supplies to the proiect be suspended.