Police Seal Off Billion-dollar Bund Area

Chronicle (Levin), 20 May 1949, Page 5

Police Seal Off Billion-dollar Bund Area

(N.Z.P.A.-

-Reuter,

Copyright)

Eeceived Friday, 9.50 a.m. SHANGHAI, May 19. Police authorities in Shanghai tonight dramatically sealed off the billion dollar Blind area from the rest of the city. An official announcement said that from tomorrow only street cars or pedestrians will be permitted. It is not clear whether ofiice personnel will be barred from going to work tomorrow in the businesses located in the Bund.

This area cOntains heavy British property and investments. The Hong Kong Bank is located there, as is also the Chinese Customs Bank of China, the Cathay Hotel, Palace Hotel and British and American consulates. In rainy and gioomy weather, Shanghai entered its eighth night of siege with the symphony of gunfire ominously absent. In an ctmosphere of tension, the city awaits the climax of a battle which some sources now believe is imminent. The battle for the control of the mouth of the Whangpoo River and vital points on Shanghai's 15 mile long sea outlet, is expected any moment. Communist troops continue to converge on the river mouth, leaving a wake of fire as they skirted the eastern and western limi s of the city. It is thought likely that the batUe for the Whangpoo and the key city on the western bank of the river mouth, Woosung, would have reached a decisive stage before the •Communists began the serious attack on Shenghai itself.