Evening star., 1949-01-24

SHANGHAI, Jan. 24.-Thou-
sands of Generalissimo Chang
Kai-shek's personal troops" were
following their retired" leader
south today, abandoning the
Shanghai-Nanking defense area.
Immediately after news of this
unexplained movement, Acting
President Ii Tsung-jen was reliably
reported bringing $4,000 soldiers
personally loyal to him into the
Marking sector from the Hankow
front farther west
The Communists, whom the dis
integrating Chinese government has
been suing vainly for peace on al
ported their unopposed advance
southwark had reached points only
80 miles north of Marking by yes.
terday.
The Reds presumably were still
nearer today.
No Opposition Left.
The telephone operator at PukoW,
Markings railway station on the
north bank of the Yangtze River,
said every one is gone from here"
This apparently meant there were
no government troops left on the
north bank to oppose the Commu-
mist march.
Dispatches from Marking said the
$4,000 troops that Acting President
Ii was bringing up were intended
either to defend Nanking from the
Reds or to prevent other govern
ment troops from violating any
cease-fire order
(This strongly suggested the
possibility of government factions
mutinylng or fighting among
themselves. 1t pointed to the
possibility that what remains of
Nationalist China was rapidly
degenerating to the old days of
rival warlords with personal
armies
The movement Of Gen. Chi
ang's personal troops south
could have several meanings,
none of them favorable to the
Nationalist cause They might
be intended for his personal de-
fense, for a last-ditch stand
somewhere in the south, or for
bargaining purposes with the
Communists.
Chang at Native Village.
(Gen. Chang few away from
Nanking Friday and went to his
native village of Chilow, 2l0 miles
southeast of Nanking, announc-
ing he had decided to retire
and let Ii Tsung- jen try to make
peace with the Reds.
IF actually retired, he would
presumably have no need for
troops, but clue may be the
Communist insistance that Gen
Chang is a war criminal who
will be punished if caughtD
Thousands of troops, moving with
full equipment, were evacuating
garrison points between Shanghai
and Nanking, these reports said.
They jammed railroads and were
repeatedly en- route to Chekiang
Province, where the generalissimo
now is in at least temporary retire.
ment
Civilian trains packed with heavy
new years holiday traffic have been
sidetracked for long periods during
the last "a hours to permit troop
rail movements.
Chang Still President.
The government director of in
formation, Shen-Chang- -huan, said
today Gen. Chang is still President
of China.
His statement was made in reply
to question by the Associated Press
at a Nanking tea party for foreign
diplomats to meet Acting President
Ii Tsung len. Mr.. Shen explained
that under the contitutiOn Vice
President Ii is Acting President be-
cause Gen. Chang is absent and
unable to perform his duties.
The party was held as Communist
forces repeatedly arrived on the op-
posite banks of the Yangtze near
Marking.
There were no signs of a fight
from the outnumbered, retreating
Nationalist forces. The government
continued the southwark removal of
its ministries, spokesman said "in
order to fight on, if Communist
peace terms are too harsh to be
acceptable"
From their conquest of Manchu-
ria last fall, the Communists have
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