Disastrous Floods in China

Chronicle (Levin), 14 July 1949, Page 7

Disastrous Floods in China

Received Wednesday, 10.15 p.m. HONG KONG, July 12. The disastrous lloods in China liave already caused 20,000 casualties, made 2,000,000 people homeless and destroyed 90 per cent of the rice cro|i in Huuan Province alone, ^ according to reports reacliing Hong Kong. The provinces most badly liit are Hopei, Kiangsi, Anhvvei, Hunau, lvwangtung aml Ivwangsi. Sections of the PeipingShanghai railway are under water, hiudering Communist troop movements. Ih fSoutli China hopes are rising that the lloods may delay indefinitely tlie Coiiununist advance. Poreign passengers who arrived by air from Cliangsha today, said parts oi* the couutryside resombled a vast sea. The lloods had washed away entire villages and inundated tlie huge rice growing area. Peasants and their cattie were clustered on liigh ground forming islands in great stretclies of water. The latest offieial reports said the water level of the Yangtze and other

rivers was still rising as a result or the unprecedentedly heavy and persisrent rains. In many sectors arinies of peasants and military personnel, halfsubmerged in muddy water, are working desperately side by side round tne clock to strengthen and repair the plci dykes, some of which have seen service for centuries. TTie most seriously affected by floocis in Central China is the rice producing province of Anhwel where already V

more than 300,000 acres of tilled farm land, iiicluding 100,000 acres of paddy fields are flooded and countless thousands of farmers marooned. In tlie Kiaugsu city of Hsuchow the rising Yellow River waters swallowed up old embanknients and inundated the city. The entire region between i Hsuchow and Fulitsi, which wit.nessed some of the iiereest lighting in China 's civil war last winter, is completely snbmerged. ' . - • i