The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-07-22
Chione Calls AII-out Push Against Reds
 Ends Peace Talks;
 Drives to Split
 Communist Troops

Nanking, July g - (UP)-Heavy fighting reported along Commun- ist- held rail lines in North China indicated today that Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek despairing of peace efforts-had ordered an an- out offensive to drive Communists from their strategic astrongholds into the remote western mountains.
 Communist sources admitted the loss of mary strategic towns nine of them along the important Tsinan-Tsingtao RailWay-and said Nationalist troops were pushing northward along a 15O-mile front paralelling the Yangtze River
 A major battle appeared to be shaping up Tn North Kiangsu Prov ince. Communists reported new government offensive there which they said was designed to isolate Red troops in a small area north of the Nanking Shanghai Railroad.
 Step Up Offensive
 Nationalist quarters said 10000 Communists in North Kiangsu were stepping up' their offensive against Luho and Yangchow.
 The official Chinese Central News Agency reported large-scale fighting in the area and said Con- munists wanted the two cities to use as springboards for attacks against Shanghai and Nanking.
 Communists said also that gov- ernment troops were concentrat- ing planes and tanks for their .northWard drive and that TT armies had captured two cities northeast of Ranking, were besieg- ing Jukao, 10 miles to the north and threatening" Tienchang and Kaoyu.
 Details of the reported Nation alist drive were locking, but the success of such an offensive would free the south flank of the lateral Lunghai Railway (connecting Shanghai, Ranking and Tatung), and protect the east flank of the -Pukow rail line-as well as the north flank of the Shanghai Nanking Railway.
 Six Armies Give Chase
 With the Tsinan- -Tsingtao rail line all but captured by government forces, the only other line affected by the nortnward drive would be the Peiping-HankoW route.
 Six Nationalist armies" report edly were chasing the bulk of 60,- 900 Communist troops toward Lieh- sien and Nationalist Gen. Hu Tsing Nan, according to Commun- ists fleeing in that direction
 Six other Nationalist armies were reported driving northward across the Yellow River along the TatungPuchow Railway. Commun- ists said they had seized the town of Houma in south ShanShi Prov 1 ince.
 A government "annihilation" campaign at Kaifeng, Lanfeng, and Shanghiu reportedly had residents digging blockade trenches as two encircling armies approached the area.
 Move to Split Forces
 Scattered reports from various sections indicated the reported Ma tionalist offensive was designed to cut of Communist forces in sev- eral areas and drive the remainder into mountainous western China. Organization Minister Chen Li- Flu told the governments Central Daily News at Nanking that the Communists were like an appen- dix which must be removed to sus- tain life The Communist New China News agency blamed Chiang for "unscrupulously" breaking of peace negotiations.
 Chiang was pictured by the Con- munistS as looking down from his Summer capital at Ruling - a mountain resort-While a nation wide civil war famed by his owr hands famed below.
 All the Communist reports indi. cated that Chiang had decided tc abandon his peace talks with Gen George c. Marshall and Commun. ist negotiator Gen. Ghou En-lai.