Evening star., 1949-07-10
Chang in Philippine
For Conference With
President Quirino
BY the Asseciotsd Press

MANILA, SUNDAY, july w.
Generalissimo Chang Kai-shek
arrived in the Philippines today
for secret conferences with Pres
ident Elpidio Quirino, it was
learned reliably.
A Chinese air force plane
brought him from Formosa to
Basa Air Field. near Clark Field,
north Of Manila.
From there. an informant said,
he transferred to Philippine air
force plane for the short hop to
Baguio, the mountain summer
capital $50 miles north of Manila.
There was speculation Chang
was coming to discuss an anti
Communist alliance in the Pacific
such as President Quirino has pro-
posed and to seek a refuge for
the gold and government of Ma
tionaliSt China if Formosa be-
comes untenable. Formosa, the
Nationalist redoubt. is $50 miles
north Of the Philippines.
Plane Reaches Baguio.
President Quirinos personal
plane left the Manila interna-
tional airport early today and ar
rived at Baguio Authorities in
sisted it carried no passengers.
Mr.. Quirino already is at Baguio.
The Philippines President con-
ferred last night at Baguio with
Chen Chih-ping, China's min
lister. Also present was Felino
Neri, the Philippines undersecre-
tary of foreign affairs. President
Quirino is his own foreign min
lister.
Also in Mr.. Ouirino's party
were 1t. Gen. Mariana Castaneda,
chief of staff of the Philippines
armed forces, and Maj. Gen. AL
berto Ramos. chief of the Philip
pines constabulary.
After arrival of the president,
spokesman said, I'VE have no
definite knowledge of Chang Kai-
shek's coming in response to our
previous invitation for him to
visit the Philippines"
This was the first intimation
that Chang had been invited. 1t
was learned that the matter was
first taken up about the end Of
May,
United States Army Headquarters.
Baguio is also the headquarters
for United States Army forces in
the Philippines. but both Ameri-
can military and diplomatic Off
cials were steering clear of the
conference.
What the meeting could accom-
plish was a matter of speculation.
Chang has recently vowed to
go on fighting the Communists
who have overrun all of North
and Central China and has ex-
pressed hope for further Ameri-
can aid.
President Quirino last spring
suggested an anti-Red alliance
of Pacific countries, and reiterated
the suggestion on July 4. declar-
ing this would be "our answer
to Red imperialism"
Rhee Calls for Alliance.
President Syngman Rhee of the
American-sponsored republic in
South Korea also has urged crea-
ton of a Pacific Alliance. How
ever, the United States has been
less than lukewarm to the idea,
at least at present. and spokes-
man for Mr.. Quirino said only
Friday that American leadership
would be indispensable iH achiev-
ing results. This spokesman said
it would be "wishful thinking"
for any Asiatic country to aspire
to the type of leadership an al
lance would require.
There was the possibility, how
ever, that Mr.. Quirino was going
ahead with the preliminaries in
talks with Chang. Some observ-
ers felt that this would command
Washington's attention.
On the home in-exile angle, the
Philippines has been noted for
giving refuge to political exiles.
Informed quarters said that. II
forced to leave Chinese soil,
Chang would prefer to establish
headquarters in the Philippines
rather than anywhere else, since
all other available Asiatic points
are more distant from China.