Evening star., 1948-12-03
China Confirms
SuchowCapture
By Communists
Supplies Destroyed
Before Reds Took
City, Army Says
BY the Associated Press

NANKING, Dec. 3.-Chinese
Communist capture of Suchow
was confirmed today by govern
ment military sources.
They said evacuation of the big
Nationalist base 211 miles northwest
of Marking was completed at noon
Wednesday. The Red radio an
nounced capture of the city at 10
pm, local time, last night.
Three government army groups
totalling 250,O00 men pulled out of
Suchow in an effort to relieve the
trapped 18th Army Group to the
south. in the Suhsien sector.
Foreign military observers, how
ever, estimated the effective COM
bat strength of the Suchow garri-
son at 10000 men-in the 10th. I'd
and 18th Army Groups. The for
ward elements we're stalled by Red
columns Is miles south of Suchow.
The 18th Army Group was holding
rear guard positions.
Supply Depots Destroyed.
Military sources reported the
Communists entered Suchow only to
find huge supply depots destroyed
Ammunition and gasoline dumps
were blown up. Air observers said
smoke pillars reach 5000 feet above
Suchow.
Those sources said the Suchow
army groups would have to fight
through 30-mile belt to make con-
tact with the troops trapped at
Sunsien and about so miles to reach
the 9Th and 9th Nationalist Army
groups which have formed defense
line On the Hwai River, 100 miles
northwest of Nanking.
Meanwhile, seven Red columns
totaling about 100000 men eased
their assault on the Hwai River line.
They were reported to have moved
north (evidently to help stop the
Suchow garrison and to head left
only a small holding force opposite
the Hwai River armies.
Government quarters reported that
the Goth Army of about $4,000 men
had been ordered from the Pal
chungshi Central China command
to bolster the Nanking garrison.
Except for the forces in the Suchow-
Hwai River area, the government
has only 10000 troops to defend
Marking and Shanghai.
Fighting Retreat Planned.
Earlier today, the government in
dicated it would make a fighting
retreat to mountainous South China
If the Reds overrun this area.
A Foreign Office official hinted as
much even as the Foreign Office
itself was assuring the diplomatic
corps that the government has no
intention to remove the capital
somewhere else"
This official pictured General
issimo Chang Kai-shek and his top
generals and military advisers as
committed to staying in Nanking
to the last possible moment.
How far in the future that might
be is hard to say. But if the Com
munists crack the new Hwai River
battle line 100 miles to the north,
the capitals defenses north of the
Yangtze would be stripped.
The official said if forced from
Marking, the generalissimo and his
generals would fall back to a point
from which they best could direct
a retreat.
Nanchang Is Mentioned.
Mentioned as a likely starter is
Nanchang, 300 miles southwest of
Marking. Nanchang is the capital
of Kiangsi province, hilly and
mountainous region which the jap
anese never could conquer.
Or, the official suggested, the gen.
eralissimo might move to Chang
sha, capital of Human province 240
miles farther southwest.
Changsha, with a network Of pro-
tecting rivers, was another tough
one for the Japanese, who took it
by a sweeping encirclement similar
to the tactics the Communists now
use with such success.
\ Another possible headquarters Is
the Human Province railway center
of Hengyang, about 100 miles south
of Changsha, also we'll endowed by
natural ramparts and reduced by
the japanese only by encirclement
The official said key Offices would
move to Canton If transfer is made
and would become the seat of gov
ernment.
Operationa1 headquarters of the
Chinese navy and some of the air
force have been moved to Formosa,
island province off China's south
east coast.
Other government offices, the in
lSee CHINA. Page A-8.l