Evening star., 1946-04-28
Chang Takes Hand
In Person as Hopes
For Truce Brighten
BY the Associoted prax


CHUNGKING, April 27.-Gen-
erallssimo Chang Kai shek
took a personal hand today IN
negotiations to end armed con-
flict In Manchuria, and a Com
munist spokesman said a truce
might come by Monday.
The generalissimo hurried back
from a flying visit to Chengtu.
szechwan Province capital north
west OF Chungking, and conferred
at once with Gen. George C. Mar
shall special American envoy.
Gen. Chang brushed aside his
usual procedure of acting through
a representative in an obvious ef-
Tort to reach some sort of agree
ment to halt the fighting before
the capital is moved to Nanking.
Marshall Also Active.
GeR. Marshall, likewise, was ac-
tive throughout the day, meeting
at length with Gen. Chou En-lai
the Communist negotiator, and
representatives of the Democratic
League, which is trying to mediate
the dispute.
Gen. Marshalls headquarters said
1t had no information on any
progress, but a Communist spokes-
man declared leaders of his party
were hopeful" an agreement would
be reached before Gen. Marshalrs
departure for Nanking.
We understand" the spokesman
aooeo, Ihat Marshall is scheduled
to 60 to Marking Monday.
indication of Progress.
II ne goes at that time without
an announcement of a truce. it
means there is little immediate hope
OF halting the conflict. But if he
delays his departure longer, it is
an indication that progress is being
MADE toward settlement"
(Maj. Gen. Pao Ching AN, head
OF Chlna's supreme army head
quarters foreign affairs depart
ment, told the Associated Press
In an interview at Nanking that
the Russians quit Harbin Thurs
day on schedule and the Com
muniSts seized control of that
North Manchurian city.
(Thls was the first official con-
flrmation that Harbin had passed
into Communist hands although
Thnnokinrr bod
A correspondent for the news
paper Ia Kung Pao said a few
Chinese government officials left
Harbin with the Russians for
Vladivostok, apparently to escape
the Communists.
&c Miles from Changchun.
The same newspaper declared
that reports the governments 1st
Army had by-passed Szepingkai and
was fighting within 36 miles of
Changchun, Communlst-held Man
churian capital, were erroneous. 1t
said the 1st Army still was held up
around Szepingkai. nearly 30 miles
southwest of the capital.
Two government generals on the
Szepingkai front told a correspond
ent for Peiping's Hsin Sheng Pao
that while the 1St Army still was
held up by bitter house toulouse
fighting in Szepingkai the recapture
of Changchun was "a matter of
time only
(American sources in Mukden
said Maj. Robert B. Rigg, Chi
cago, United States military at
tache who saw the battle for
Changchun, would leave the cap
ital by plane for Mukden during
the day. A State Department
official in Washington said five
United States correspondents
who also were in Changchun
were safe, but probably would
have to remain there for some
time because of lack of trans
portation)
While Gen. Chang strove to
placate the Communists, he faced
a revolt within his own Kuomintang
over his decision to postpone the
constitutional assembly
At Marking, 130 Kuomintang
delegates TO the Assembly tele-
eraphed Chungkine declaring that
despite the refusal of the Com
munists and the Democratic League
to select delegates until a truce
was reached in Manchuria, the As
sembly should meet May 5, as
scheduled originally.