Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-11-16
China Reds Fire
On Train Bearing
General
Wedemeyer Approves
Military Action if
Warning Is Ignored
~ the Associated pres..

VsuisOSy NSttOH II
Wurning Is Ignored
~ the Associated Press.
SHANGHAI, Nov. 16.-Amer-
lean headquarters in the China
theater reported today that q
train bearing Maj. Gen. Dewitt
Peck, LIST Marine Division COM
mander, was under fire from
a Communist : occupied North
China village yesterday.
Gen. Peck was uninjured, but re.
quested that American planes strafe
the village if the firing continued,
headquarters disclosed.
1t. Gen. Albert c. Wedemeyer,
commanding American forces in
China, in careful reply, authorized
appropriate military action" but
only after considerable" warning to
the village and adequate precautions
to avoid endangering innocent per-
sons.
Headquarters was unable to con.
firm Tientsin reports that Marines
aboard the train returned the fire.
Report From Gen. Hockey.
The report of the attack was re-
ceived by Gen. Wedemeyer from
Maj. Gen. Keller Hockey, command
er Of the Sd Amphibious Corps. Gen.
Rockey's message said the train was
en- route from Tangshan to the coal
port of Chinwangtao, and that the
small-arms fire was coming from q
village 900 yards north Of Lwanhsien.
Gen. Hockey instructed Gen.
Peck to send an emissary to the
village to inform the Communist
leader that "if firing continues I
will order an air strafing mission :.
against the village"
Gen. Rockey's message also re-
ported that 800 yards of track and
roadbed of the railway had been
destroyed by mines, causing several
casualties among Chinese workers.
No American casualties were re-
ported.
Gen. Wedemeyer in his reply said,
in part:
ut is desired that you inform the
military leader or responsible au-
thority in that village in writing,
both through q carefully selected
emissary and through dropped leaf
lets, that fire from that particular
village is endangering American
lives and that such firing must be
stopped.
Military Action Authorized.
after insuring that your warning
to said military leader or responsible
authority has been received and un-
derstood, and should firing that
jeopardizes American lives continue,
you are authorized to take appro-
pirate military action.
your warning and action should
include necessary measures to insure
the safety Of innocent persons"
Gen. Wedemeyer said Generals
simo Chang Kai-shek and Gen.
Chou En-lai, Communist leader in
Chungking, had been informed Of
the exchange of messages.
Associated Press Correspondent
Glen Clements, at Tientsin, said
travellers reported the Marines
aboard the train returned the fire,
but Marine headquarters remained
silent.
Travellers said that the fight took
place at spot between Tangshan
and Chinwangtao, where Communist
troops have been giving the national
| icfc &rr,,h1a for Iouc Ar fSlavv,ov,%,
reported. He said it was not known
whether Communists knew Gen.
Peck was aboard the train.
One Marine Wounded.
This Is not the first time Marines
have been fired on while riding
North China's trains, but the shots
thus far have been scattered. Only
one Marine has been reported
wounded seriously.
Mr.. Clements also reported a brisk
skirmish occurred on the fringe of
Tientsin last night when bandits"
attacked outposts of Nationalist
guarding the city. Machine gun and
mortar fire was heard, he said, and
at least one government soldier was
killed and one wounded.
There was no Identification of the
bandits" although some National-
lists said they might have been part
of the Communist forces ringing
! Tientsin.
Disarming Two thirds Complete.
Gen. Wedemeyer tolds a news
conference today that the task for
which Marines entered China-dis-
arming 1901 900 surrendered Japa-
nese-was two-thirds completed.
Asked why the remaining one-third
still carried arms, he said it was
due partly to the fact that central
government forces were INSULT
cient" in certain remote areas, and
also to the fact that some japanese
had been purposely allowed to re-
tain arms ito preclude disorders"
Gen. Hockey, Gen. Wedemeyer
said, has allowed some armed Japa-
nese to remain near military stock
piles, to prevent "pilferage."
| Gen. Wedemeyer said he feels it
is his definite responsibility to pre-
vent the japanese from taking part
in any political, military or eco
nomic activity in China, but such
things are possible because Amer
lean forces cannot be everywhere"
1Chiong Troops Viii Begin
| Move to Monchurio Soon
4 PEIPING, Nov. is tR.-General-
issimo Chang Kai-shek's NATIONAL
list troops will begin . mass move
ment squite soon" into Manchuria
In air transports turned over to
China by America, spokesman at
Gen. Chiang's field headquarters
said today.
4 Their destination win be the main
i tSee CHINA, Page A-l3.)
1 Courts Bill introduced