Evening star., 1949-01-10

to the Big -Four for their help ir
ending the war.
There Is every indication here
however, that none of the Big Foul
is interested in a one sided invita-.
ton to mediate, and one diplomat
predicted a negative answer would
be heard from all four capitals con-
cerned.
Russians Contac cted Later.
Unofficial but usually correct
sources say that the United States
Britain. France and Russia have
been asked to seek settlement oi
the three-year-ol war. which the
Nationalists have been losing tc
the Reds.
Some sort of diplomatic move
was in the wind, observers said
Ambassadors from the United
States, Britain and France were
called to the Foreign Oface late
Saturday. The Russian Ambassador
who is i'll. was contacted later
these sources said.
(Spencer Moosa, Associated
Press correspondent in Peiping,
subject to military censorship,
predicted both Peiping and
Tientsin would be in the hands
of the Communists within'a week
or less. He intimated deal
was in the making between the
Nationalists and Communists in
those two cities.
Mr.. Moosa said the Reds re-
portedly had fought their way
into the commercial city Of
Tientsin and might even be
shelling the city's east railway
station.)
Surrender May Be Near.
The armies of Gen. Tu Lining
encircled southwest" of Suchow fol
weeks, may not be able to with
stand vigorous Communist attacks
much longer.
The Chinese Communist radio,
heard in San Francisco, said to-
day that all government troops
encircled south of SuchoW were
completely wiped out by 10
o'clock this morning"
Last reports from Nationalist
sources estimated the troops un-
der Gen. Tu Lf-ming at between
100000 and 250,0OO men. Red esti-
mates a few hours ago cut the
size of the force down to 10000
troops
Nanking and Shanghai reports
said pilots who flew supplies to be
dropped to the trapped National
soldiers were turned back and Or
dered not to drop the supplies
These pilots said heavy white smoke
| indicated an intense artillery due
with PHOSPHORUS shells being used
by both sides.
Surrender of these armies, the
largest single military force before
Nanking and the Yangtze, might
come at any time.
South of Tu's forces. the Com
munisJs, pressing toward the Yang
tie. have opened attacks on the
Hwai River defenses, 100 miles from
Nanking.
In Formosa, meanwhile, the new
governor, Gen. Chen Cheng, said the
island will be used as stronghold
against the extension of the Com
munist sphere in Asia. In his first
news conference as governor. Che
former overall commander of Ma
tionalists troops, said he would flgh'
to the end and proclaimed himself
a staunch member of the Kuomln'
tang (governmentl party.
(The FormoSa governor said
the Communists would never ac-
cept peace offers as long as they
held military supremacy. He said
he wanted to build Formosa into
a fortress for restoring National
ist China with the help of For
mosans.)
In Shanghai Nine Sun Yat-sen
widow of China's first president, is
sued statement saying that an!
reports that she would assume an,
Offices or responsibilities in the gov
ernment were completely withou
foundation She said she Woult
continue to devote her energies tt
work of the China Welfare Fund o
which she is chairman.
In Nanking, o. K. Yui, who wa
removed and then reinstated b.
Premier Sun Fos cabinet as goveno
of the Central Bank, was given sicl
5 leave after submitting his resigna
ton to Chang. Chang refused t.
: accept the resignation but grantee
the leave