Evening star., 1949-12-06
Nationa|ists Step Up
Demand for Chang 10
Resume Presidency
By the Assoeiufed Press

py wv DSS0StoiSQ ffVSS
: CHENGTU, Dec. 6.-Clamor for
Chang Kai-shek to resume the
presidency Of Nationalist China
became noisier today as the Reds
pushed within 90 miles of Chengtu
(From Hong Kong, Associated
Press Correspondent Wayne
Richardson radioed that Presi-
:. dent Ii Tsung-jen ordered Ma
tionalist officials in Chengtu to
y carry on-under his orders. Ii,
flying to the United States for
:. treatment of a stomach all
+. ment, said he would telegraph
instructions and would return
Il within month";
All Assembly delegates on the
mainland and at Formosa urged
Chang to resume the presidency
A group that saw him Sunday
reported he promised to consider
that.
Chinese quarters interpreted
this as meaning Chang would
actively take up his post, but they
had no idea when.
Reds Still Advancing.
Meanwhile. the war situation
was worsening. One Red force,
striking along the main highway
from recently deserted Chungking
approached Neichiang, a ferry
crossing 80 miles southeast OF
Chengtu.
Another thrust along a more
northerly highway toward SUM
ing, 80 miles east of Chengtu.
CA broadcast from the Com
munists' Peiping radio said the
Reds captured Yungning, a
stronghold in Southern Kwangsi
Province. Yungning is only 80
miles from the Indo- China bor-
der. It was the provisional
capital and headquarters of
Nationalist Gen. Pal Chung
hsi.
Hong Kong newspapers said
provincial army units mutinied
at Yuki. 80 miles south of Kun
ming. The mutineers could
threaten Kunming's rear. Their
strength was not given.)
Travellers said inhabitants of
towns and villages in the path of
the Red drive were in a ferment Of
excitement and fear. They elab-
Grated: Residents were moving in
every direction for safety. Some
were fleeing into the countryside
from towns. Others were rushing
into towns from the countryside.
Student Tragedy Reported.
In Chengtu, nearly all schools
closed because students fled to
their own homes. Among institu-
tions shut down was the famed
West China Union University, op-'
Grated mainly by American mis-
sionaries.
The student world was filled
with unverifiable reports of a
tragedy rumored to have befallen
students at Chungking. The
rumor:
A number of students. carrying
banners welcoming the Commu-
nists and denouncing the Nation
alists went out to hail the Reds
last Wednesday. Through a mis-
take, they entered the Nationalist
lines. Troops, angered by the
banners, opened fire. Rumors of
the number killed ranged from
20 to 200.
An official dispatch said Nation
alist planes Sunday bombed PER
shiyi Airfield on the outskirts Of
Chungking, setting oil tanks afire.
Red troops crossing the. .Yangtze
from the south bank bombed and
strafed a railway station.
Ii Tsung-jen in Honolulu
En- Route to America
HONOLULU. Dec. 6 P.-Li
Tsung-jen. Acting President of
tottering Nationalist China. ar
rived by Pan American Anyways
today from British Hong Kong.
Through an interpreter in the
early hours before dawn he said
his sole purpose in coming to the
United States was to obtain med
ical aid for a severe stomach all
ment. He has been in Hong
Kong hospital.
Ii will go direct to New York,
arriving in San Francisco later
today. There had been specula-
ton In some quarters that his trip
was to try to raise American aid to
fight the Communists in China
The State Department approved
his visit and granted him a diplo-
matte visa as Chief Of State.
1t. Jen Wang -chih, Lis military
aide, said the acting president
could make no comment on politi-
cal or military events in China o1
the past few days because he was
not abreast Of developments.
Wang said Ii was too tired ane
I'll for a news conference. Bui
after Ii, Nine. Ii and their two
sons amiably greeted Chinese
delegation at the airport, they
went for q drive around Honolulu
Wang was shown an Associated
Press story quoting Generalissimt
Chang Kai-shek in Chengtu
China, as saying Ii had been ex'
pected to return to China from
Hong Kong to help cope with tht
Communist situation but had lef
the country instead. After read
ing it Wang said:
'Dr. Ii left the country as thu
acting president Of China and hi
Is still acting president Of China.
Cunodiun Radio Survey
TORONTO R.-A recent sur
vey shows that Canada ha!
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