Evening star., 1949-01-16
Tientsin Gone, Chang 7otters;
Cabinet Must Surrender or Flee:
Tense PorIeys Argue Red Terms
No Bargaining Room
Seen; Public CIomor
For Peace Grows
BY the Assoeioted Press

NANKING, Jan. 15.-The Chi
nese cabinet and other govern
ment bodies we're holding tense
conferences today after Tientsin
fell to the Communist armies.
The government had the alterna-
tives of yielding to harsh peace
terms or fleeing. The policy-mak-
ing executive committee scheduled
an emergency session tomorrow to
discuss the Red conditions.
The first official admission of the
fall of TientSin came from spokes-
man for Gen. Flu Tso-Yi, the gov
ernment's North China commander.
He irritably described Tientsin as
lost and hinted that IAN impor-
tant statement might be issued
soon" He refused to elaborate.
The peace terms, broadcast last
night by the Communist radio,
amounted to demand for uncon-
ditional surrender of GeneraliSSimo
Chang Kai-shek's government. Nam
king hopes that they might be eased
went glimmering as the fall OF
L
dominant military position.
Official Gloom Deepened.
Deepening the government gloom
was authoritative word that both
the United States and Britain had
refused to use their good oftces
to seek peace talks. There appeared
to be no reason to believe that
France or Russia would heed similar
pleas.
Conquest of Tientsin after month
of siege and day of artillery
bombardment cost the government
another $4,000 of it's dwindl1ng
troops and freed an estimated 10000
Reds for new operations.
The Communist radio stressed the
obvious fact that the capture cleared
a rail route all the way from Man
churia down to the Yangtze River
front before Nanking.
This hurried the continuing flight
of government officers from this
detected capital.
1t was learned authoritatively that
the bulk of government gold and
foreign currency already had been
removed to the island of FormoSa,
more than 500 miles by air south
east of Nanking Gen. Chang was
reported also to have sent many OF
his personal possessions there,
Defense Offices to Move.
TIE National Defense Ministry
planned to start moving its person.
mel tomorrow to Hengyang, more
than 500 miles southwest OF Nam !
king. The Foreign Office was study !,
ing quick removal plans.
Semi official Chinese sources said
Foochow, more than 400 miles by air
south of Nanking, had been chosen
as a temporary capital when Nam
king should become untenable. For !
mesa Is being saved as an ultimate
refuge if the government finds itself
unable to stay on the mainland,
these sources reported.
Antipathy of the residents plus
well-developed Red guerrilla
movement we're said to have forced
abandonment of plans to move to
the great Southern center of Canton.
T. v. Soong, governor of Canton's
Kwantung province, was scheduled
to confer in Nanking tomorrow with
his brother in law, the Generals
slmo.
Every indication pointed to For
mosa as the final retreat of Gen.
Chang. 1t was believed that, with
the protection of army, navy and
air units already being sent there.
he hoped to wait for future world
events to provide him with the nee
essary support for comeback.
Clamor for Peace Grows.
Public clamor for peace at any
price was increasing, however, and
even in official circles there was a
feeling that Communist conditions
were not unreasonable in view OF the
military situation.
The universal reaction was that
the Red terms left no room for bar
gaining. Broadcast by the Red
radio last night, they included pun
-. a