Evening star., 1945-08-19
RedsDriive0n;;
$4,000 More
||Japs Surrender
Negotiations Believed
Under Way With
Enemy Emissory
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press,
LONDON, Aug. 18.-Japanese
troops laid down their arms in
growing numbers in Manchuria
today while Soviet spearheads
swept within 10 miles of Hsin-
king, puppet capital of Tokyo's
stolen empire, and scored gains
OF 19 to 81 miles toward Harbin.
Moscow's war bulletin indicated
that more than $4,000 enemy troops
gave up the fight during the day
for a two-day surrender total of
As 900.
But thousands of other Japanese
troops had not obeyed the cease
fire" order. The Russian Army
newspaper Red Star estimated there
were more than 100000 crack
japanese soldiers in Manchuria,
Korea. Inner Mongolia and South
ern Sakhaiin Island.
Conferences in Progress.
Slashing forward on three fronts,
Soviet columns narrowed to 255 miles
the closing pincers that threaten
to split Manchuria in two, outflank-
ed the old capital of Mukden and
drove within 145 miles of Harbin.
great central Manchurian arsenal
city.
Meanwhile, at the Headquarters
OF the Soviet Far Eastern comman-
der. Marshal Alexander M. Vasilev-
sky-presumably at Khabarovsk-
conferences were believed in prog
ress with Japanese surrender
emissary who was picked up by q
Soviet plane today at Harbin.
This envoy, identified in a Kha-
baroysk radio broadcast as Gen,
Hata. was believed making ar
rangements for the complete sur
render of Gen. Otozo Yamada's s
Kwantung Army in compliance with
a Soviet ultimatum to lay down
arms by noon Monday.
Surrenders thus far have been
the unorganized capitulation OF
small Japanese groups and units. A
total of 10000 laid down their arms
yesterday. Tonight's war bulletin
reported that the number of JAP
anese troops surrendering has
slightly increased"
Trapped Garrison Ouits
In the area of Hulun CHailar)
400 miles northwest of Harbin, an
encircled japanese garrison of s..
600 men surrendered with their
commander, Maj Gen. Namura.
On Marshal Kiril A. Meretskoy's
lst Far Eastern Army front east
OF Harbin units of the Sd japanese
Army have commenced laying down
their arms and surrendering," Mos
COW said.
Rapidly advancing forces of Mer-
etSkov'S army, pushing west and
southwest of Mutankiang and Min
guta in Eastern Manchuria's rugged
river-cut mountains, gained 10 to
70 miles and strengthened thei,
hold on the main rail line to Harbin
Moscow said.
Advances along the eastern
stretches OF the Chinese Eastern
Railroad carried Meretskov's hard
hitting assault columns within las
miles east of Harbin.
River Bastion Captured.
simultaneously, Gen. Maxim Pur-
kaeV's End Far Eastern Army swept
down the Sungari River valley
northeast of Harbin and captured
Tangyuan, a river bastion 1855 miles
from Hardin. Purkaev's forces also
won the Strongly-fortified enemy
positions OF Keton and Iton or
Saqhalin Island, which lies 26 miles
north OF the Japanese home island
Of Hokkaido.
In Western Manchuria, Marsha,
Rodion Y. Malinovskys Trans
Baikal Army kept up its relentless
surge across the open plain country
shielding Hsinking on the west.
In an apparent 67-mile overnigh,
gain from Kaitung, they stormeo
and captured Changing, 70 miles
northwest OF the Japanese puppet
capital, in a sicklelike- swing that
also carried them within 68 miles
OF the key railroad linking Mukden
Hsinking and Hardin. It was Dos
sible that the capture of Changing
was made after a threesday, 70-mile
advance from Chanyu.
The Soviet thrust across the fat
lands outfianked Mukden 165 miles
on the city's north, and only 255
miles separated Malinovsky's spear
heads from those of Meretskov,s
army advancing on Harbin from the
east.
A junction of Malinoysky's and
(Cao DYTCCY Nv -