Evening star., 1948-12-10
BY the Associated Press

rage A.E4.
BY the Associated Press
NANKING, Dec. 10.-General-
issimo Chang Kai-shek tonight
extended martial law to all
China under Nationalist control,
except for the far western prov
inces and Formosa.
The Generalissimo's action was
taken amid the deepening civil war
crisis. Both Nanking and Peiping,
North China metropolis, are threat
ened by Chinese Communist armies.
Gen. Chiangs proclamation ex-
tends military jurisdiction to areas
thus-far remote from the fighting.
Shanghai, Marking and Peiping
we're placed under martial law sew
eral weeks ago.
Meanwhile, Red troops were be-
lieved trying to cut Nationalist
communications behind the Hwai
river-Nanking's last defense line
nOrCn OF Cne anStZe.
Government sources said, the
Communists are attempting to
cross the Hwai at bend in the
river 80 miles northwest of Nam
king. This is at point where the
river is lightly defended.
This threat arose as the bulk of
the government armies of East
China still strove to break loose
from two big traps north of the
Hwai
A crossing of the Hwai in any
force would cut off Marking from
the new base at Pengpu, los miles
northwest of the capital. together
with the 10000 troops manning the
defenses along the river.
Is Miles From Supply Line.
The number of Red troops COM
mitted to the operation was not
indicated. But they would be only
Is miles-easy striking distance
from the railway supply line be-
tween Marking and Pengpu.
CA Shanghai newspaper re-
ported a Communist advance rs
miles to the northeast along the
Grand Canal, a drive which
might be geared to the Red oper-
ations on the Hwai.
(The newspaper Sheng Pao
ssid government troops had
withdrawn from the Grand Canal
cities of Hwaiyin and Hwaian,
about 10 miles north of Nam
king and had fallen back Is miles
south to Paoying.
IF true, the Communists ap-
peared to have straight shot
southwark to the Yangtze along
route protected by two large
lakes-HungtZe on the west and
Kaoyu on the east.)
Air Force Grounded.
A return of bad weather grounded
the air force, which had been
counted on to help in extricating
the four government army groups
encircled in two pockets north OF
the Hwai.
Three army groups from Suchow
were said to have reformed their
ranks after taking bad beating
and were again fighting southwark
toward the HWai.
To the south of them the 18th
Army Group still appeared trapped
some Is miles north of Pengpu, con-
trary to government reports earlier
that it had broken free.
A Shanghai front dispatch IN
Sheng Pao said 20 miles still sep
arated the 18th from troops trying
to fight to its relief north OF the
Hwai
The picture also appeared to be
darkening in North China, where
Gen. Flu Tso-yi is trying to save
Peiping and Tientsin from the Com
munist tide.
Gen. Fus headquarters confirmed
earlier reports that government
troops had withdrawn from Shunyi,
only 18 miles northeast of Peiping.
Associated Press Correspondent
Spencer Moosa reported that the
Communists also were putting on
the pressure from the southwest and
that Peiping was in danger of early
Red capture.
Mr.. Moosa said Gen. Fu must de-
eide quickly whether to tght a de-
cisive battle on the plains around