Evening star., 1949-03-03
Peace Talks With Reds
.Wi|| Begin March IS,
China S Premier Says
By the Associated Press

By me ASSOCldIS0 FFeSs
NANKING, Mar. 3.-Premier
Sun Fo announced today that
peace talks with the Communists
are expected to start in Peiping
around March Is.
Sun said a Red leader had told
him verbally that sometime
around that date would be op-
perfume for the peace conference.
He refused to name the Com
munist leader.
The premier expressed opti-
mism at a news conference on
the outcome Of the conference for
an end to the long and costly civil
war.
Meanwhile, Central News
Agency reported several persons
had been arrested in Shanghai
and Nanking in a plot to kidnap
Acting President Ii Tsung-jen and
other Nationalist leaders. Some
newspapers previously had said
there were wholesale arrests" in
the plot.
The plotters, said the news
agency, were secret agents be-
longing to Marshal Ii Cht-sen'S
Koumintang revolutionary COM
mittee. Ii Chi-sen once was a
friend of retired President Chang
Kai-shek, but now is his bitter po-
litical foe.
Airfield Capture Held Aim.
The news agency said the
plotters had hoped to seize the
acting President and other lead
ers, capture the Marking airfleld,
cut off the capitals communica-
tions and pave the way for Com
munist troops to cross the Yangtze
River. A peoples government was
to have been set up in the Yangtze
Valley.
| In Shanghai Admiral KWei
Yung- ching. Chinese Navy COM
mander in chief, was quoted by a
Chinese newspaper as saying the
cruiser Chungking, which diSap-
peared last week, was in the Gulf
of Chilhli. Foreign sources said
the 5,000-ton cruiser. China's
largest warship. had deserted to
the Communists.
Chinese sources gave varying
stories. Some said the cruiser
was on a training cruise. Others
said it had deserted with its crew
of $50 British trained mariners.
The Central Daily News said
Admiral Kwei had private in
formation that the Chungkink was
in the Gulf of Chihli between
Liaotung and Shantung penin-
sulas." Russian-held Dairen and
Port Arthur are on the tip Of
Liaotung Peninsula and the sur
rounding coastline of the gulf Is
in the hands of Chinese Com
munists.
Cruiser Told to Return.
Kwei was quoted by the Central
Daily News as saying he had
radioed the cruiser to return at
once"
The crew of the ship had been
reported restive over slow pay.
tardy leaves and general condi-
tions. A good many were known
to have deserted. T..
Premier Suns news conference
was his first since he returned
from Canton, where he fled with
the cabinet late in January. He
said Canton was the national cap
ital and would remain the capital.
Nanking, Sun said, Is the center
of peace negotiations. President
Ii has remained here, except for
flying trip to Canton to per-
suade Sun to return to Nanking.
Sun said the government will
seek an honorable, equitable set
tlement" of the civil war with
the Communists. Only an honor
able peace will be acceptable and
lasting, he said.
The premier disclosed that Act
ing President Ii had named him
to head a 10-man committee to
draw up a peace program to be
presented to the Reds. Actual
negotiations are to be conducted
by four delegates representing
each side.
Sun said a government effort
to reduce the size Of the army
from 4,200,000 men to 2,500,000
was meeting stiff opposition from
the Ministry of Defense. He dis
closed that a reduction from g.
100000 soldiers to the present
figure began last month.
The army reorganization was
necessary, he said. because the
nation has too many troops for
the treasury to maintain.
Sun added that the government
had decided to abolish conscrip-
ton insofar as possible and rely
on voluntary enlistments for its
armed forces.
He said he would appear before
the Legislative Yuan when he was
called by that body. The premier
said his and the cabinets flight to
Canton had President Lis full ap-
proval from the start.