Evening star., 1949-05-25
Roaring Battle Shakes Shanghai
AS Notionolists Fight to Escape

Continued From First Page)
Communists could not take the
exposed targets without consid-
cradle loss of life, they set UP
harassing fire. Bullets cracked UP
and down the famous Bund, In
front of the Glen Line Building
housing the American consulate.
In front OF the British consulate
and across from the Russian con-
sulate.
Thousands watched the fight
ing from high buildings on the
Bund.
My wife, Margaret, who tele-
phoned me play by play accounts
of the fighting along the Bund
from her vantage point In Broad
way Mansions, likely will have to
spend the night there along with
IS other foreigners trapped by the
fighting. .
American and British consulate
employees were trapped in their
buildings too.
Russian Paper Hit.
The Russian Daily News. the
pro-Soviet independently owned
Russian newspaper, was hit by a
shell. But Editor v. A. Chilikin
telephoned the Associated Press
office. which is barricaded. and
worriedly asked for news stories.
I'VE were shelled but are pub
lishing." he said.
Amos Landman, Associated
Press correspondent, and courier
coolies crawled over o back fence
and delivered the incoming report
to him. Mr.. Landnan went on to
the government cable office.
. The American. owned Post and
Mercury came out with a four
page paper. The British -owned
North China Daily News and Chi
nese newspapers intended to pub
lish editions later. The Reds is
sued clampdown orders on some
other newspapers. including Chi
nese language publications.
At one time during the morning
100 government soldiers in build
ings south Of Soochow Creek fell
back to Chapoo Road Bridge on
the double, piled into vehicles and
roared away.
Sometimes 1t seemed impossible
so many troops could be hidden in
the city with the Communists all
about.
City Peaceful Elsewhere.
Away from the Bund the city
was singularly peaceful during the
day. The Communists saw 1t at
its best during daylight-with the
incredible traffic jams Of the past
gone.
There were miles Of mapping SOL
diers right to the end Of the fight-
ing zone.
One foreign casualty was re-
ported. He was r. p. Veremberg
an exporter who holds q British
passport and gave q Western Ber-
lin address.
He was hit by machine gun bull
lets near the Chapoo Bridge.
Badly wounded. he crawled sew
eral hundred yards to the Amer
ican consulate. There was no
doctor there. Veremberg may die
liz medical aid is not given soon,
the consulate said.
A group Of foreign correspond
ents on Marking road covering
the fighting narrowly missed in
Jury and death from Nationalist
mortars firing on q Red machine
gun nest. The mortar shells
missed the machine guns and the
correspondents.
Steel Ring Forged.
Long since, the Reds had forged
q steel ring almost around the
city. Their drive from the south
west had swept over big Lungwhs
international airport and the
smaller Jungjao airfield.
AL that remained open to the
Nationalists was the northwarc
corridor along the Whangpoo.
The Whangpoo itself was blocked
along the Shanghai waterfront
The Nationalists scuttled at least
nine ships there. The ship channel
was menaced all along the East
side in the sprawling Pootuna
area. Here the Reds had driven
- fhA vix,av ho~b {v x1Asr ss1ac nh