The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1949-04-26
NAVY Ships
MOVING OUT
OF SHANGHAI
Com m unist Spearhedds
Rolling On Two More
China Cities Taken
BY FRED HAMPSON

l
SHANGHAI, April -lR-Heavy
us. naval vessels moved out OF
Shanghai today as two Communist
spearheads rolled toward the
Shanghai Hangchow area.
The Communist radio in Peiping
boosted two Nationalist armies, the
Goth and 99th, had been wiped out
Two towns, Thing, IS miles west
of here, and Chingtai, 60 miles
southwest of Marking, were cap
tured, the radio said.
The Communist broadcast said
the Marking Hangchow highway
nad teen cut. Government garrison
ceadquarters said Red advance
units were around Soochow (Wuh-
sien), 40 miles west of here.
REDS MOVE ON
Red capture of Thing, on the west
bank Of Lake Tai, would mean the
Communists were half way to
Hangchow, where some 100000 gov
eminent troops are believed dug
in. A rapid thrust could cut the
Shanghai Hangchow corridor.
The American ships went down
The Yangtze estuary from here to
avoid involvement in the civil war.
The British followed the Ameri-
can lead and withdrew warships
of their Shanghai force. Movement
of the ships into the Yangtze
estuary will put them out OF
artillery range when the Reds ar
rive in the worlds fourth largest
city.
SHANGHAI is READY
When the Communists would
come no one knew. But Shanghai
appeared ready to receive them
without resistance. Most of the
city's 100000 inhabitants expect
the Reds to walk in and take over
as they did the Nationalist capital
Of Marking.
No one seemed to know how far
away the Communists were.
The Shanghai garrison command
canned publication OF all war news
except what it put out. Since it
was impossible to get anything
from headquarters, there was vir-
Jually no news in Shanghai news
papers.
The Central News agency, is
suing a garrison communicate, said
operations in the Marking Hang
Shanghai triangle had slack
ned during the past 48 hours.
Military men do not think the
Communists have enough troops
across the Yangtze yet to start
,olling in strength toward the big
target of Shanghai and Hangchow.
SHANGHAI PANICKY
Meanwhile Shanghai. which had
AIKEN the situation with relative
calm, was beginning to show evil
fence Of panic. Shanghai's COM
nerce seemed grinding to "a halt.
The Securities Exchange was open
jut there was little business. Many
oftices failed to open. The money
market was so chaotic as to be
meaningless. The U. s. dollar
etched 100000 gold yuan. The pre-
war Chinese SILVER dollar SCARED
until it cost $40 to buy six of them
The flagship Eldorado Of Vice
Adm. Oscar Badger. commander Of
US. naval forces in the western
Pacific, moved from the No. buoy
on Shanghai's famed "Battleshir
Row" at II am. 1t was followed
down the muddy Whangpoo river
cy the troopship Chiffon carrying
one battalion of marines.
Withdrawal of the American anc
British naval craft came less than
"a hours after the Communist radio
demanded that the aggressive
military forces of the two "im-
perialist" nations get out of China
U. S. Consul John Cabot esti-
mated 100 Americans, mostly
women and children, boarded US
Navy vessels for evacuation in any
emergency.
Another group of Americans is
expected to board the SIS. Wilson
of the President lines when it ar
rives tomorrow from Hong Kong.
A British Consular official said
$50 British nationals had registered
to leave on the Dutch steamer
Boissevain. French Consular Off
Gals said they had only one
Frenchman listed so far as want
ing to leave.
I'VE are glad Frenchmen are re-
naming to maintain our national
J Interests one official said,