Evening star., 1948-12-30
China AWAITING
Chang Decision
On Longer War
New Yeur Statement
Expected to Show
Plans for Future
BY the Associated Press

/ NANklNG. Dec. 3U.-All Chlne
today awaited a decision by Gen.
eralissimo Chang Kai-shek anc
his top military commander!
whether the new year will bt
ushered in by continuing war OF
peace.
The decision, Nanking source.
said. may be made in meetings here
of Gen. Chang and his top military
men. The militarists gathered from
all parts OF China repeatedly to de.
eide whether to keep trying to stor
The victorious Communists or bid fol
peace.
Conference Report Denied
A government spokesman tried
however, to spike reports that Gen
Chang had called his lieutenants
together to discuss China's overall
future
Instead, Spokesman Shen Chang.
chuan said at his first news con.
ference. the Chinese military lead
ers came here for consultations
rather than a conference"
This was taken to mean they were
here for individual rather than COL
lective meetings with the Chinese
President.
The Chinese looked forward to
Gen. Chiang'S promised first of the
year statement for some inkling OF
what the generalissimo has on his
mind The big question is will the
war continue or is there some hope
of peace for China's war-Weary mil
lions.
Lis Detection Denied.
Shen brushed off a report that
Vice President Ii TSung-jen had
joined the national group now aovo-
eating peace with the Communists
Shen said
Il met Vice President Ii this
morning. When told of the report
he was much surprised, saying I
share the same thought entertained
by President Chang"
Asked if this was confirmation or
denial of the report on Ii, Shen said
the generalissimo's views-in which
Gen. Chang emphasized his de-
termination to fight on against the
RedS-was we'll known. That
statement. the spokesman said, still
stands until Chang makes another
one.
War Front Is Quiet.
On the war front itself there was
comparative quiet-a strange quiet
for China which has known count
less wars through the centuries and
has been involved in almost con-
tinuous strife since the 1911 revolu-
ton when Sun Yat-sen overthrew
the Manchu dynasty.
The Communists themselves
seemed to be watching the Nanking
with great interest. Their
forces. now besieging Peiping,
Tientsin, Taiyuan and the aps-
proaches to Nanking itself, re-
portedly were regrouping.
If Gen. Chang decides to con-
tinue the war, an all-out attack by
the Communists might burst with
great fury in early January. They
hold almost all of North China above
the Yangtze and are not likely to
let the advantage slip while the
hard-pressed Chang tries to mold
new armies and defenSes below the
broad river at Markings doorstep.
Gen. Flu Still Delayed.
Bad flying weather continued to
delay the arrival from Peiping of
Gen. Flu Tso-yi, North China COM
mander, who is expected to talk
with Gen. Chang. But T. V. Soong,
governor of Kwangtung, and Lu
Han, governor of Yunnan province,
reached here today from the south.
to join other National leaders pour
ing into Nanking.
Yen Hsis-han said he came here
TO arrange food for his armies and
people within encircled Taiyuan and
that he had made no recommended
tions to Gen. Chang ''or any one
else in Marking" on the future ma
tional policies Of the government.
Nanking was the scene of con-
stant political activity against a
background Of recurring reports
that way was being sought for
Gen. Chiang's retirement in order
to open peace negotiations with
the Communists.
One story most generally heard
in informed circles was that Gen.
Chang had been persuaded to take
that step and details were being
discussed when the Communists re-
leased their list of war criminals"
which was headed by Gen. Chang
and Nine. Chang.
The generalissimo was very
angry" one source said, "and there
(See CHINA, Page A-5)