REINFORCING HONG KONG

Chronicle (Levin), 10 December 1948, Page 5

REINFORCING HONG KONG

(U.Z.PM

Detision Follows Critical Turti In China

GG&'HQfltJ

Heceived Friday; 9.40 a.m. NANKING, Dec. 9. Britain is to reinforce ihe Hohg Kdng garrison because of the de^ terioration in the Chinese situation. The Second Hattaiion pf ihe Sixtli Gurkha Rifles is going .tb Hong Kong from Singapore by the end of the yeaf. The Chinese GoVeriiment admit-' ted that a lightning tidvance by the Jommunist forces had brOuglit them Within' 30 miles of Nanking, Foreign observers say that the situation in Cei\tfal China is cfitiCctl • Wllliam Parrott, N,Z,P.A,-Reuter correspohdent, says that the Na-:-ionalist& are despefately staving off defeat oii the flooded plains bf Honan, Ahhwei and K-iangsu, and are fightihg what may become the iast major Governm&nt stand hofth of the Yahgtse RiVfer. If the NatiohaiiSts are bedteU, ihe diVil wtir tnay be regtirded as ^irtUally over, With SoUtheMi arid iVesterrt China to be taken iiitO the Commuriist fold at their owti cOnvenience. The Chinese populace, felyihg on .'eticent^ offlcial bulletins, remaihs lulled in a sense of false security jy news of minor successes. They are hardly aware that 400,000 iiien are locked in a giarit fight on the oorder region, Government military sources admitted that heavy casualties haVe been inflicted on three of their ensircled army groups, with the SiXteenth Army helieved to be virtually wiped out. Nationalist' relief columns pushing northward are rpparently not makino much progress, and vast armies are now pinned down to fighting for their iives. The Communists must be in need of a respite for re-grouping and re-equipping, but with victory within their grasp they cannot afford to ease the pace.