Evening star., 1950-04-24
Chang Orders Troops
To Evacuate Hainan,
Leaving Il for Reds
BY StonIeY Rich
Press foreign Correspondent

StoHiSy NiSH
Asseeioted Press Foreign Correspondent
YULIN, Hainan Island, April
24.-All Hainan was the Chinese
Communists for the taking today
handed over by order of Chang
Kai-shek.
The generalissimo's order for
total evacuation" of the big
island gives the Reds nearly half
the remnants of his once vast
Nationalist China.
The decision to give up the
13,500-square-mile stronghold of
South China had not been an
nounced officially here. My in
formation came from a general,
one Of the top officers charged
with Hainan's defense.
Sacrifice" Denounced.
This general accused Chang of
Sacrificing" Hainan to his own
political ambitions.
He said Chang refused to send
reinforcements because he feared
the growing strength and popu-
larity Of two Hainan's defenders
Gen. Hsueh Yueh, the military
commander-i in chief and Marshal
Chen Chi-tang the governor.
(The Defense Ministry on
Formosa said only that fighting
continued east of Hollow the
fallen capital and near Limko
Cape 40 miles west. Opinion
in Taipei was that the National
lists would abandon Hainan and
attempt to remove as much war
material as possible rather than
defend the southern part of the
island)
The island still could be held
If the Nationalists had "only one
more army" at their disposal, said
this man whose name cannot be
used for obvious reasons.
Plea for Army Rejected.
The general asserted a request
to move the 50th Nationalist Army
to Hainan from Formosa had been
turned down. The request for this
reinforcement was sent Friday
when the Reds suddenly developed
their threat to Hollow, Hainan's S
capital.
Nationalist military and civil
chiefs pulled out of the capital
city on the north coast Saturday
New defense headquarters were
set up at Yulin, southern port
130 air miles away.
The order to abandon all
Hainan was received here yester-
day. One Nationalist Navy land
ing craft and three commercial
vessels were standing by to car
ry out top military and civil
officials. 't
The evacuation was expected to
begin today. The Communists
were expected to have complete
control of the island within four
days to a week.
Five Nationalist armies totaling
possibly $4,000 men will be de-
serted to the Reds unless a last
minute way can be devised te
evacute them also.
10000 Reds on Island.
The Reds have probably 10000
to $4,000 armed men on Hainan
Some 10000 to $4,000 regulars
of famed Red Gen. Lin Piao came
across 10 mile wide Hainan
Strait and stormed ashore on the
north coast in the invasion begun
last Monday. In addition there
are an estimated 10000 Red guer-
rillas on the island.
Still outside the harbor of Red
occupied Hollow yesterday was
the Nationalist defense feet of
about nine gunboats and one or
two destroyers. Admiral Kwei
Ying-chin, Nationalist navy COM
mander- in chief. radioed Yulin he
was ready to aid in the evacua-
tion.
Most of the Nationalist air
force already has quit Hainan
and gone to Formosa. The 100
plane force was down to eight
BIS bombers. an F-51 fighter
and an ATS trainer.
Samah airfield in Southern
Hainan was almost deserted this
morning. Operations were shifted
there when the Reds closed in on
Hoihow's field. the main base
Ragged ground personnel at
Samah were loading the personal
belongings of second-ranking Ma
tionalists preparatory to the final
evacuation.
Hollow Key to Hainan.
The general who told me o1
Chiang's abandon -Hainan order
said:
I'VE could still drive the Com
munists back into the straits il
only we had one more army. But
once we lose all control of Hollow
it will be too late.
"Hoihow is the gateway to Hal
IT, MILL.