Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-06-04
Canton Reported
Threatened by
Red Armies
NotionuIists Believed
To Have 300, 1000 Men
For City's Defense
BY the Assoeiofed Press

marching south toward Canton,
refugee Nationalist capital.
The Nationalist have possibly
100000 men to face the twin
drives.
At the same time, other reports
in this fallen capital said the
Nationalist had 100000 troops
deployed along the approaches
to Chungking, the wartime capital.
The Western Chinese city may
be the next seat of the Chinese
Nationalist government after Can
ton.
100000 in Liu's Force.
One of the two Communist
armies moving south toward Can
ton Is the I'd Field Army of famed,
one-eyed Gen. Liu Po-cfeng. 1t
has an estimated 100000 men.
Advance elements are believed
closing in on Kishui, 800 miles
northeast of Canton. Their next
objective probably will be the Kan
river city of Kanhsien, 100 miles
closer to Canton.
From Kanhsien. Liu' army is ex-
pected to drive southwestward to
Kukong, an outer defense city for
Canton $50 rail miles from the
refugee capital.
Gen. Yu. Han-mow, Nationalist
commander in South China. has
headquarters at Kukong along
with 100000 troops. Yu's forces
are expected to disintegrate before
the advance of Liu's veterans.
Gen. Lin Piao, conqueror of
Manchuria, is marching his 4th
Field Army Of 100000 men down
the Canton Hankow railway west
Of Liu's troops.
Reds Near Pingkiang.
The Manchurians are said to
be nearing Pingkiang, about so
miles northeast of Changsha.
Changsha, about 400 miles north
of Canton, formerly was head
quarters of Gen. Pal Chung -hsi.
Gen. Pal, with 100000 of the
best troops left to Nationalist
China, is believed forming tenn
porary defense line along the
strong natural positions around
Hengyang. 100 miles south of
Changsha.
However, Pal is expected to
Withdraw to the southwest into
his native province of Kwangsi for
a final stand.
Kwangsi forms the strongest
sector of a southwest defense line
which the government is said tt
be trying to set up. The line
would run northwest through
Kweichow Province into Szech-
wan. Chungking is located ir
Szechwan.
Best information is that Szech-
wan Province is heavily defended
About 100000 troops under Ma
tionaiist Gen. Sung hsi-lien holc
the YangtZe River gorges. This Is
the gateway to Szechwan.
Second Route to Szechwan.
The second major route into
Szechwan, more than 200 miles
north of the gorges, is defended
by 10000 troops under Gen. Hu
Tsung-nan. HUI is falling back or
North Szechwan after giving UP
his main base of Sian. capital OF
Shensi Province.
CThus Szechwan is guarded
by two generals who are trust
ed by retired President Chang
Kai-shek. Gen. HUI, an old
friend, won fame early in the
civil war by conquering Yenan,
the old Red capital0
(Gen. Sung was one of the
Burma generals" who helped
to reopen the land routes to
China through Burma.)
b. HUI has been under steady pres
sure from about 100000 Red
troops of the LIST Field Army COM
manded by Gen. Peng Teh-huai.
Units Of Gen. Mich Jung -cheng's
Red 5th Field Army. which Gar
risons North China, are reported
coming down from Taiyuan to
support the LIST Army.
In addition. about 10000 Ma
tionalist troops under Moslem
Gen. Ma Pu-fang. are holding po-
sitions in China's great northwest
Chen's Army Use a Question.
So far. there is no indication
Of how the Reds will employ Gen
Chen Yi's Sd Field Army. now that
1t has cleaned up the Shanghai
Hangchow region on the east
coast.
Canton reports have limited
that some Of Chen's troops are
headed that way.)
Observers believe some of
Chen's 100000 soldiers may be
assigned to seize the South China
coastal area. including the ports
Of Foochow. Annoy and Swallow.
One Communist Army already
is reported within 80 miles of
Foochow.
The forces moving on the south
east coast cities are expected to
meet practically no opposition.
approximately $4,000 govern
ment troops who were said to
have escaped by sea from Shang-
hal are expected to 60 on to South
China and to Formosa, not to the
defense of the southeast ports.
The island province Of Formosa
has an estimated $4,000 troops
supported by remnants of the Ma
tionalist Air Force and Navy.