The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-11-01

The Government forces, landed from three American transport flotillas at the North China port of Chinwangtao, were armed with American flame-throwers, bazookaS, mortars, field guns and machine guns.
 Officers Hurt in Skirmishes
 They called temporary halt in their advance on Manchuria after two of their officers in an advance party were wounded in the initial Skirmish late Tuesday night.
 Johnston said the Communists withdrew their outposts back across a river two miles south of the from tier city of Shanhaikwan to man northbank trenches and barricades following the exchange of shots.
 Col. Chen Ju-Lon, commanding an advance Nationalist regiment, said 5000 Communist troops were dug in along the river line, with an- other 60O0 on their Hanks.
 But even should the nationalLsts force the river, they still would have to break through the 30-foot-high, 40-foot-thick Great Wall to capture Shanhaikwan and enter Manchuria The wall was built 2,000 years ago.
 100000 May Be Engaged
 Spread of fighting to the Man. churtan border added a grave new note to internal strife in China Civil War between Nationalists and Communists already was raging in II other provinces, and informed sources feared 100000 troops-1,- 100000 on each side-soon may be fighting.
 At Honolulu, It. Gen. Albert C.. Wedemeyer, American commander for China, reiterated that the United States would continue to support Chiang and the Central Government.
 Such support, however, did not in- clude the use of American soldiers or facilities against the Commit nists, he said. The Americans mis- sion in China was solely to assist Chiang in repatriating 4,o00, 900 Japanese troops.
 That requires the Government and the Generalissimo to move troops into areas formerly held by the Japanese and they are using American ships and planes to do this, but American men and equip ment are not to become involved in fratricidal war;" he said.
 To Refuse Direct Assault
 Should Chiang ask American aid in moving his troops for direct assault against the Communists, Wedemeyer said, the request would be politely refused.
 Central Government forces facing the Communists along the Great Wall were sent to Manchuria to take over the liberated territory from the Red Army.
 However, Chow En-Lai, Commit mist delegate to Chungking, said there was mo necessity for alp Gov- ernment forces to enter areas al- ready recovered by Chinese Com munists from Japan.
 Chow denied a Central Govern ment allegation that the Commit nists had sent warning to Chung king that they would shoot any gov- ernment forces landing in Commit mist areas, such as the Manchurian border region.
 Too Busy Militarily
 He suggested that the Govern- ment-Communist dispute could be settled by further negotiations, but Mao Tze-Tung, Communist leader at Yenan, has been too preoccupied with military operations even to ap- point delegates to proposed unity" council.
 AS further evidence of the con- fusion surrounding the situation, a high official of Chiang's Kuomin- tang told Johnston in the Manchur- ian border area that he would not be surprised if the Red Army gave the Communists direct military SUD- port in Manchuria.
 The Chinese said the Russians wanted tO delay the Central GrOVerQ- .