RED ARMIES SWEEPING ON

Chronicle (Levin), 1 September 1949, Page 5

RED ARMIES SWEEPING ON

(N.Z.P.A.-

— Reuter.

Copyright)

Received Wednesday, 8 p,m. HONG KONG, August 31. Oommunist armies sweeping into Northern Kwangtung from Hunan, are gravely imperilling the vital Nationalist railway communications between f'anton and their principal armies under Pai Chung-shi in the Hengyang area. Tn Eastern Kwangtung, Meihsien and .Shingning have fallen before Lin Piao's forces advanc.ing south from Kiangsi. Remnants of Nationalist defenders under Fangtien and Hulien, have withdrawn to Swatow. Events are crowding to a climax in Bouth China says the N.Z.P.A. Reuter correspondent (William Parrott), Independent military obfservors said today that they eould see not]iing to etem the many-lieaded Oommunist drive into Kwangtung with Canton as the goal. New guerrilla activity on tlie West River means the city is mejiaeed by Oommunist regulars and guerrillas at points round a full half circle. The nearest guerrillas in strength are at Lungmen 70 miles northeast of Canton and they are linked with regulars under General Liu Po Chen further north. Symptoms of unrest were today also reported at Waichow, 70 miles east of k Canton, and 45 miles from the Hong Kong border. Other oommunist regulars are pushing south from Kiangi into Eastern Kwangtung. EJsewhere in China the position today seemed equally desperate for the Nationalists. General Chen Yi's Communist armies, which stormed into Shanghai, were reported tq be within 20 miles of Amoy, Commnnist thrusts towards the Hankow-Ganton railway in Northern Kwangtung and Squthern Ilunan are threatening tp trap several Nationalist armies, Against the aecumulating. disastprs, and despite frank admissions that they niupt sooner or later evacuate Canton, Government spokesmon outwardly still maintain confidence • over the future although observers feel the claim has J40 follewing. .