The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-08-14
Interpreting
The War
By JAMES D. WHITE
Associated Press Staff Writer

BY JAMES D. WHITE
Associated Press Staff Writer
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 13.-R
Swift action is likely to come in
China if civil war is to be averted
there in the backWash of Japan's
collapse.
Leathery-faced Red General Chu
Teh has put the situation in the
worlds headlines by ordering his
troops to disarm Japanese garri-
sons and occupy points wherever
they are. His troops are widely
scattered throughout Japanese-oc.
cupied China.
chung kings Generalissimo
Chang Kai-Shek has promptly
counter-manded- the Red instruc.
tons and ordered all concerned not
to act until he tells them to. He
told the Reds fatty "never again
to take Independent action"
A Red commentator in Yenan,
the Chinese Communist capital, re-
piled by charging that Chang was
planning civil war.
Yenan may be wading in strong
in order to get the best settlement
possible out of the bargaining it
sees ahead. But Chiang's order
alone is hardly likely to stop the
Chinese Reds if it is really their
intention, as Chungking reports
make it appear, to grab first and
talk afterWard in Japanese-oc-
cupied China. If they actually start
grabbing then tough job lies
ahead of anyone who attempts to
untangle the situation.
Meanwhile, a number of factors
still keep the door from slamming
shut.
For one thing, General Chu's or
der referred to Japan's uncondi.
tional surrender as an already ac-
complished fact. He can always
say he acted hastily on faulty in
formation and retract his order on
that basis.
For another Mao Tze-Tung, the
political leader of Red China, may
be the real key to the situation.
He must be fully conscious of the
extended conferences which have
been going on in Moscow between
Chungking's Premier T. V. Soong
and high Russian authorities in
Guiding Marshal Stain. He must
also have noted the atmosphere Of
cordiality which has emanated from
these talks. --'
| ct has never been reported that
the Russians have supported the
Chinese Reds, although they have
helped Smuggling materially, but
that has not stopped the Chinese
Reds from hoping.)
Mao must know well by this time
that the official American attitude
on the Chinese internal dispute
amounts in it's simplest form te
continued recognition and supper
of Chungking as China's de facte
and de lure government. Irritation
in Yenan over this circumstance
recently may have been behind i'll
tempered accusations that Ameri
cans harbor imperialist designs OF
China. -.
Finally, Chinese Communist lead
ers must realize that in any civil
war they might. get themselves
mixed up in they would be at
grave disadvantage.
While Chungking has been poor
Nv armed in relation to Japanes'
invaders. its troops are overwhelm
ingly well-armed in relation to tn
Communist troops who have onl.
what they have made themselve
and captured from the japanese.
I Today's reports from Chungkinl
= sneak further of the likelihood o
air-borne Chungking troops beinl
used to occupy keypoints as sool
as Japanese troops are ready t.
surrender.
Tn this connection the American
10Th Air Force from Burma wa
onlv today reported in its first &C
ton in China. There was no indica
ion that its extensive fleet of trans
mort planes which and supplied thu
burma operations had not conn
along with the fighters ant
bombers.
Also today Chang Kal-Shek visit
cd 1t. Gen. Wedemeyer at nj
American headquarters in connec
lion with reoccupation plans, it wa
renorted from Chungking.
Since the loss of far Easter
sources of supply of tin, Boliv y,
has filled hp to three-tonrtas o. ''i'
1 tin needs Of the United STATES