Evening star., 1949-05-11
Chinese Reds Drive
On Coast, Tighten
Moose on Shanghai
BY the A1socio.sd Press

frightened.
The Nationalist garrison here
officially admitted these Rec
gains.
Unoficial reports indicated
Hankow. big Yangtze port ir
Central China. may be doomed
A three-pronged Communist at
tack on Hankow seemed TO be
gathering momentum.
Summary of Communique.
The Shanghai garrison COM
munique today gave this picture
/. A Red force of 1000 men
has attacked Kinki in Kiangsi
Province less than so miles from
the Fukien boundary. Fukien Is
opposite the island Of Formosa.
2. The Communists were at
tacking Kashan, so miles south.
eat Of Shanghai. Communica-
tions with that city were severed
at dawn. This usually means cap
ture.
3. Thirty miles northwest OF
Shanghai the village of Chenmc
In the Kunshan area was under
Communist attack.
The communique gave no indi.
cation of the size Of the two
moves around Shanghai. Mos,
actions in that area have been on
q small scale.
Front Is Irregular.
The weight Of the Communist
offensive has been into South
eastern China through Kiangsi
and Chekiang Provinces. This ir-
regular front extends from Hang
chow on the east to Lake Poyang
on the West.
(The force attacking Kinki Is
part of the westward prong
aimed for Fukien through
Kiangsi. Kinki is $50 air miles
southeast Of Hangchow and 80
miles southeast Of Nanchang.
Kiangsi provincial capital. 1t
is only rs miles northeast Of
Nanchang.
'CThe eastward prong was re-
ported yesterday by the Com
munist radio to be near Kiang-
shan in Chekiang Province.
Kiangshan is only IS miles
from the northern boundary Of
Fukien)
The situation at Hankow was
not altogether clear. Gen. Pal
Chung -hsi. Hankow commander
had flown there from Canton. The
newspaper Sin Wan Pao said part
of the Wuchang- -Hankow garrison
In Central China had been evac-
uated.
Peace Move Reported.
There were unofficial reports
that a local Hankow peace move
was under way. The majority Of
the 100000 National, troops there
are expected to retreat southwark
before any large scale fighting
takes place.
5 Here in Asia's largest city the
problems Of the war were over
shadowed for most people by local
economic worries. A cup Of cof-
fee today cost half . million
Chinese yuan.
Automobile owners were forced
to pay special defense taxes
amounting to $50 Omitted States)
Five more Shanghai "subyer-
siyes" were scheduled to be exc
cuted late in the day.
Chinese groaning under their
burdens were not as lucky as for
eign vehicle owners. The Chinese
had to give UP enough Of their
machines to give the garrison s00
trucks and 500 jeeps. Foreigners
managed to gain exemption from
this edict.
A new soak the rich tax" was
rumored about ready for collec-
ton. Municipal authorities were
reported drafting a measure call
ing for the reQuisitioning Of all
public and private stocks Of ex-
port goods. The goods would be
sold to finance fuel for Shanghai.
Reports from cities occupied by
the Reds during their drive south
say the Reds are requisitioning
rice all along the line. This would
bear out reports that the Reds.
who now claim to be advancing
at the rate Of 26 miles a day, are
living of the land.
These reports, published in
newspapers. said the
occupied cities were orderly but
that business and industries had
not been revived to any great
More bad news for the govern
ment appeared in the Shanghai
Ia Kung Pao. 1t car
ried q dispatch from Central
Formosa. Chang Kai-shek's island
bastion 100 miles or the Fukien
coast. that the normally rich
Taichung area was facing o
drought. Water In the Sun-Moon
Lake was reported falling rapidly.
A British source said today no
have been received re-
49,. ~aARDA A. rs y n