WAR TAKES GRAVE TURN

Chronicle (Levin), 7 December 1948, Page 5

WAR TAKES GRAVE TURN

* ( N.Z.P.A ,

—Reuter*

+ • News Censorship Imposed By Shanghai Government

GoxrjriOht)

Received Tuesday, 10.15 a.m. SHANGHAI, Dec. 6. The Shanghai City Government today clamped down a censorship on all newspapers and news agencies, both foreign and local, as the war situation in China took a new grave turn. The censorship order instructed that all news material should be submitted to the" police authorities for censorship before publication. The order threatened. the cantellation of the- licence to operate in the event of noncompliance. Reports from Nanking say that the Communists have surrounded elements of three Nationalist Army groups nine miles northwest of Yuncherig, in Eastern Honan. They are the second, thirteenth and sixteenth groups, which recently abandoned Hsuchow to march southward. The apparent retreat of the Communists northwest of Pengpu was a rapid tactical movement to complete the encirclement southwest of Suhsien. The Communist encirclements are believed to be logical. tactical moves to wipe out all opposition before trying an allout drive on the Yangtse. Heavy fighting is already reported around Hwaiying and east of Taihsien, just north of the Yangtse and northeast of Nanking. In north China the first report that the Communist troops were southwest of the Great Wall pass of Kupeikaw, separating Jehol from Hopei, came with mention of the fighting near Miyun, 40 miles northeast of Peiping. Fighting is progressing at Changping, also! within the Great Wall, and 18 i miles from Peipang. The Nationalists claim to have driven off the Communists in the vieinity of Kalgan, in South Chahar. Vast Possibilities The posslbilny t iiat a complete dehacle oJ: Ihe Clunese National forces might wreck the structure oi' ruited Nations, is being quietJy studied by diplomats, says the New Voi-k Tinies' coiTespondent, I Alr. Cyi'us Sulzberger, reportingj from Paiis. The conjecture is| based on certain assuniptions — that the Communists will ovemm Nanking and the Yangtze valley, that Aloseow grants diplomatie recognition to the new Coinmunist "Covernment." and the Western Powers eontinue to recognise the Chiang Kai-shek (iovernment wherever it is situated. In sueh an instanee, it is pointed out. the Seeurity Couneil could, in alP probability, not eontinue to J'unetion. It future events and hypotTieses should prove aecurate, there would probably be an insoluble dispute over which "Government" of Ching. would have the right to nppoint a delegateio sit in China's permnnent rouncil 'seat. With the veto power resting in the hands oi' both disputing| factions— should this troublesome I situation arise — no solution is atl present foreseeable. It is jiointed out that if Aloseow recognises the new Chine.se Goveriiment and the West does not, the Soviet could assert that the Secnritv Couneil is not a legally constituted body as long as Chiang Kai-shek 's representnf ive sits on it: