BRITISH IN SHANGHAI INTEND TO REMAIN

Chronicle (Levin), 8 December 1948, Page 5

BRITISH IN SHANGHAI INTEND TO REMAIN

Received Tuesdajq 7.5 p.m. NEW YORK, Dec, 6. Britons in Shanghai are planning to remain "come what may." in tlie Chinese eivil war, says the New York Times' Shanghai correspondent, who reports that British men. and women, organised on a war footing, ai'e setting up a siege eamp for 4000 Britishers still in the city. Oots, food and medi cines have been moved into Jarge waro houses on the waterfront so that the Royal Navy can evacuate them down -the Whangpoo River as a last resort. However, according to a plan drawn up by local English businessmen, they would leave only in ttie face.of full scale warfare in the city or its burnLng. The British stake here and in China is too great to be relinquished lightly. The correspondent says the British have less to fear l'roin the .Communist regime than the Americaus whose Government gave activc . support to thc Nationalists. If a Communist Government is established, they reason it will have to trade with somebody who can ship goods into China 's Paciho ports. Kussia, they say, is not _ ready for large exports hence, if British merehanth are on hand with goods, they hope a Communist China could be linked at least -in some degree, to the economy of the West.