SUDDEN END EXPECTED

Chronicle (Levin), 15 December 1948, Page 5

SUDDEN END EXPECTED

(N.Z.P*A. — j

Reuier

Ease Of Commnnist Advance SigniScant

GoDvright)

Keceived Wednesday, iu.zu a.m. NANKING, Dec. 14. Thfe last link between Pe'iping and Tientsin was broken when fighting began near the railway station of Lanfang, halfway ' hetween the two cities. Meanwhile, the Nationalists claimed to have repulsed Oommunist attacks at Chingso, 10 miles north of Peiping along the PeipingLuiyuan railway, where the railway station and military academy were destroyed by artillery fire. " Confusion prevails in Peiping. All commercial airlines have stopped flights to the city owing to the lack of assurances from the Chinese Air Force regarding their safety, and all trains from Tientsin to Peiping have been cancelled. Wiinam Parrott, the New Zealand Press Association-Reuter correspondent in Nankihg, reports that informed circles believe the North Cnina campaign may end suddenly with some kind of agreement between the Com.mun.ists and Nationalists. The Communists would thus • take over a vast amounk of American-supplied war material. Observefs point to the ease of the Communist advance on Peiping and the Nationalists' withdrawal from the Tongshan mining area. Mr. Parrott comments that tne surge of military and political events flooding one upon the other in these critical Chinese days have produeed a vast amount of specu■lation and wishful thinking, but few have real clues as to how this drama will end. Only the superoptimists or very naive grant the Nationalists any chance of pulling through, but how the cherished goal of peace will be reached and, what manner of g'overnment will: next be installed, and where.it will stand in the parade of nations, • are pressing questions still begging an answer.