Chiang Calling In His Farflung Armies

Chronicle (Levin), 4 December 1948, Page 5

Chiang Calling In His Farflung Armies

Reeeived Fridav, 9.50 p.m. NANKING, Dee. 3. Chiang lvai-shek has ealled his farilung armies from as far away as remote Sinkiang to bolster the defenees of the eapital, says the Cniled Press correspondent. It is expected tliat the rebellious Lil tribes there will foree a seltlement from the Government giving them eontroi of tlie provinee. A Reuter message says lvalgan's outer defenees are erumbling under tlie Communist attaeks. Tlie Communists are seeking- to eut ofi' this important Soutli Chahar town 110 miles northwest of Peiping. They have driven to under seven miles of Kalgan from tlie east. Despite denials to tlie eontrary, the Government is preparing to evaeuate the eapital. It is believed that the Government issued denials for loeai consumption to bolster up morale. Thirty-eight diplomatie missions have reeeived assurunees that tlie Government is not evaeuating, but they are lakiug precautions against a sudden departur®. The Chinese Government today ofi'ered to provide faeilities for members of foreign and diplomatie missions and their depeiulants wisliing to evaeuate Xanking in tlie faee of the present iiiilitarv situation. The steps inelude the aetual boxing up and removal of Government tiles and doi'uments and tlie evacualion oi eivil servants' depeiulants to Cantor. and other southern eities. Thousands of people at Nanking's eentral railwav stalion todav serambled to liu.v tiekets for trains tliat wouhl take them away l'ronf tlie CommunistIhrealened eapital, says Mr. Wilham Parrott, the N.Z.P.A.-Reuters eorrespondent. Long-iines of people three or four ileep streteiied aeross tlie broad foyer into the street. Blaek market operators did unpreeedented business in puivliasing plaees in the queues. A stalion oilieial said the positiou was daily growing mqre diilkult to handle and some clerks had been attaekod and beaten by impatient travellers. On the remainder of tlie foyer and platform spaee fiat thousands waiting I or trains whieh would take them to the eomparative safety of .Shanghai. One thousand people are leaving daily on eaeh of eight expresses. Along ihe streets oi Nanking are nioving seores of lorries, cars and jeeps woighed down with the houseliold ett'eets oi' the fleeiug eitizens. Pianos, refrigerators, mattresses, radios and a ho.st of other efl'eets are being sold at ridiculously Jow priees to obtain ready eush. A total of 141 Europeans, mostly Bntish, lei't Tieiltsin today aboard the British steamer Wingsang. The vessel did not emer narbour, feariug trouble from Xationalist soldiers trving to make their wav southward. The evaeuees were earried by launeli to the Wingsang outside the harbour.