MANCHURIA LIKELY TO BECOME COMMUNIST POSSESSION

Grey River Argus, 30 January 1948, Page 5

MANCHURIA LIKELY TO BECOME COMMUNIST POSSESSION

NEW YORK, Jan. 28. The New York World Telegram’s Mukden correspondent. “Only the most resourceful and energetic measures by the Chinese National Government, with the United States aid and guidance, can save Manchuria from forceful inclusion in the Soviet line-up. There are only three months left in which to do this, because at the present rate of deterioration the Nationalist economy will be killed in this time.” The correspondent says that defeat is implicit in the fact that the Nationalists hold less than 10 per cent, of Manchuria and yet have 90 per cent, of the people on their hands, without supply lines for the troops or civilians, and face a 1,000,000-ton food shortage this year. COMMUNISfICAPTURE MANCHURIAN KEY CENTRE [ N.Z.P.A.—Reuter—Conyright. 1 (Rec. 10.45) SHANGHAI, Jan. 29 A Chinese Central News Agency in a Mukden despatch, states: The' vital communications centre of Sin-li-Tun has fallen to the Communists, after a bitter struggle, during which the Communists are claimed i.o have suffered well over ten thousand casualties. CHINESE SELF HELP PLAN NANKING, Jan. 28. “As a result of suffering losses during more than eight years of war and the subsequent .Communist rebellion, China is now facing unprecedented economic difficulties,” said the Premier, Mr Chang-chun to-day, announcing a new ten-point programme of “self-help.” “The Chinese Governinent notes with gratification the United States’ inclusion of China in the interim aid Bill and the announced intention of the United States to' take early action during the present session of Congress.” The programme is designed to “secure the maximum benefits from external aid,” and lays stress on financial and economic measures of immediate importance and which, the Premier said, will be followed by other reforms in the fields of general administration and military reorganisation. U.N.R.R.A. REPLACED At Shanghai the committee of the Council for the Far East —the policymaking body for the United Nations’ Relief and Rehabilitation Administration's China programme —dissolved itself last night after transferring control of supplies and finance to the Chinese Government’s board of trustees for rehabilitation affairs. The board, which was created recently to carry on unfinished U.N.R.R.A. work, will receive, as a result of this action about 60,000,000 United States dollars’ worth of supplies allocated 'to lone-term U.N.R.R.A. projects. The membership includes ten Chinese and five foreigners, except the New Zealand, Philippines and Soviet representatives, all the members attended the final committee meeting.