Communists Start A New Offensive In China

Chronicle (Levin), 11 April 1949, Page 5

Communists Start A New Offensive In China

Received Sunday, 7 p.m

.NANK1NG, April 9. j Reliable sources have reported thp,? at the conclusion of a conferenee today between Li Tsung-jen, Ho Ying Chin and other top'ranlcing Ivuqmintang ofiicials, it was decided to strengthpn the Yangtse defenees. Leaders interviewed after the confer ence seemed most pessimistic about peace prospects. One said he thought the peace talks wonld definitely end on Tuesday and it might be an unhappy day for Nationalist China. &o Ying Chin is reported to have said before the conferenee that the Kuomintang would never agree to uneonditional surrender to tk.e Communists. Mao TseTpng tonight told Li Tsnngjpn that the Cpmmunist tenns for peace represented ' ' our most leniept poljcy. ' ' Mao Tse-tung was replying tp Ei's messagp appe.alipg for coope/atipn in solving all prqblems and declaping M'8 wish to work .with other demqcratic leaders to construet n new China. Mao Tse-tung added: "Since ypjir side agreed to carry out p.eaee negotiatipns on the basis of the Commnnisf eighjpoint terms and aceording to th"2 principl.es, it s,epms -the prpblems nrp np longer difilcult. " The Associajed Press correspondeni reports that the Communists explodep an offepsive against Ihe. Nationalists" north bank. bridgeheads along the 65Qmile Yangtse River front tbday. 'Goy ernment forces admitted the loss of Icheng, pn important ferry town 28 miles north east of Nanking. TobokpF, a Nati.opalist brjdgehead on fhe north ' bank of the Yangtse 15 miles east of Nanking, has fallen to the Communists. The small garrison with drew in face of an ov.erwbelming fprce Military observers saijd Tahokow wqs g well knQwm river crossing and tjie near.est to Nanking that could safely bp negotiated by an army