CHINESE GENERALS DEFY CHIANG

Chronicle (Levin), 8 January 1949, Page 5

CHINESE GENERALS DEFY CHIANG

Received Eridav, 5.20 p.m. NANKING, .Tan. 7. Throp top Chinese generals are politely refusing to obev Chiang Kai-shek's rnilit arv orders iu an effort to ioiee him to icsign, says the United Press (jnoting well infornied sources. The generals said to he guilty of insuhordination an1 Pai Uhunghsi, of the Hankow garris'iii controlling the Yangtse River wc-t of Nanking; Uhang Chen, provineial connnander oi' ITonan, whose troops stand north of the Yangtse between the Connminists aml Nanking; and Chen Cliien, eoiumander at Changsha, ' south of Hankow. I'ai, whose troops wero reported to be en route to the Pengpu 1'ront over a iiionl li ago, are said to have been withdrawn to Hankow in defiance of ('liiaug's orders. Cltang Chen is said lo liave witiidrawn most of his forees to ihe north of the Yangtse, and Cheng t'hien 1ms remained in Changsha despite orders to niove north to the river. The informant said the generals had not openlv detied Cliiang Kai-sliek but had giveiUvarious excuses sueh as transporlatirm ditfieulties and material shortages for failing to obey orders. All three had telegraphed Cliiang suggesting tliat he take a " vacation. " The Associated I'ress reports that the Connminists have resumed their attaeks on the former Ilsuehow garrison -after* a lnll of nearly two weeks. This foree has been trapped for weeks 150 miles nortli-west of Nanking. The Communists have begun shelling the eneircled foree after a loud-speaker banage recjuesting surrendel*.