893.00/12–1748: Telegram
The Consul General at Peiping (Clubb) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 17—7:03 a. m.]
557. ReContel 556, December 17.43 English language Peiping Chronicle today reports General Fu Tso-yi yesterday convened conference high officials and commanders for discussion present military situation, steps to be taken to strengthen defences Peiping and Tientsin and for maintenance peace and order; and states that General Fu emphatically declared he is determined to fight to last man for defence Peiping–Tientsin. Central News Agency, Nanking, despatch locates Communist 1st, 2d and 6th columns Lin Piao, Communist forces near Fengjun (northwest of Tangshan), 3d column at Langfang, and 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th columns and 7th independent division in area northwest of Peiping and at Miyun and Shunyi (north of Peiping) and several Great Wall passes. This version characterizes fighting which began December 14 near Chingho Summer Palace and Shihchingshan as only tentative Communist penetration.
Repeated Shanghai 544, Nanking 813, Tientsin.
- Not printed.↩