Evening star., 1945-08-20
Reds Ready 10 Occupy
Key ManchurianC Cities
JAS More Japs Give Up
BY the Associated Press.

LONDON, Aug. 20.-Swift Rus
sian occupation of all key cities
in Manchuria was forecast today
as Japan's highly trained Kwan-
tung Army, estimated to number
at least 100000 men, surren-
dered garrison by garrison to
the advancing Red Army.
Dispatches from Moscow said re-
sistance had ceased almost every
where in compliance with the ultl-
matum issued last week by Marshal
Alexander M. Vasilevsky, Russian
Far Eastern commander. who gave
the japanese until noon today to
lay down their arms.
Soviet air. borne units already had
landed in the key cities of Mukden,
Harbin. Hsinking and Kirin, and
reported that the Japanese garri-
son were ready to give up.
Occupation Believed Near.
The Russians said last night their
ground forces were on the ap-
proaches to Mukden and Hsinking,
puppet capital of Manchuria, and
indicated that occupation of the
cities might be only few hours
away.
The wholesale capitulation came
only II days after Russias entry into
the Pacific war. Surrender details
were arranged Saturday when a
Russian plane flew representatives
of 1t. Gen. Otozo Yamada, the Jap
anese commander in Manchuria, to
Soviet headquarters.
The Russian communique last
night said the three Russian armies
in Manchuria had ceased operations
on all sectors where the japanese
were laying down their arms and
we're accepting the surrendering
units and formations of the Kwang-
tung Army"
More than $4,000 japanese troops
were said to have surrendered yes
terday with $1,000 of the number
being rounded up by Marshal Kirill
A. Meretskov's 1st Far Eastern
Army pushing up the road from
Eastern Manchuria TO Harbin.
Gen. Maxim Purkaev's End Far
Eastern Army occupied several jap
anese strongholds northwest and
north of Harbin and accepted the
surrender of $4,000 enemy troops
who land down their arms in the
Sungari River Valley. Cities which
capitulated to Purkaev included
SanSing, 142 miles northwest of
Harbin. and Lungchen. 1876 miles
due north.
In Western Manchuria Marshal
Rodion Y. Malinovsky's Trans-Bai-
kal Army accepted the surrender OF
20 600 japanese and neared Mukden
and Hsinking in advances ranging
fup 10 140 miles. SEQ. 800
Among the points occupied by
Malinovsky were Simmin, only 80
miles northwest of Mukden: and the
communications center of Chengteh
in extreme Southwestern Manchuria
only IS miles from the Chinese
frontier.
Malinovsky's forces also entered
Liaoyuan, 80 miles southwest OF
Hsinking and drove on beyond to-
ward the puppet capital. which had
population of 423, 800 in 1910.
Mukden, with population es-
timated by the Japanese as l,044 900
served as the capital of Manchuria
until 1892.
The Japanese-controlled Hsinkine
radio said today that the "disarm-
ing" of japanese troops in occupied
Manchuria "is making record prog
ress" following the arrival of Rus
sian military emissaries" in Man.
churia yesterday.
The broadcast, recorded by the
Federal Communications Commits
sion, said the Japanese Kwantune
army headquarters had announced
yesterday afternoon that Sovie,
military representatives had arrived
at ,Hsinking ito carry out disarm-
ing of the Japanese"
The Kwantung army announce
ment was quoted as adding that
'the policing of the city will be
gradually handed over TO the Soviet
forceS"