893.00/4–2249: Telegram

The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State

826. Communist broadcast April 22 announces river crossing starting midnight April 20, smashing Yangtze defense line, built by Kmt32 reactionaries during past 3½ months, like hacking away a lot of dead wood. Enemy troops had no will to fight and fell back in utter confusion. In less than 24 hours 300,000 PLA33 men completed crossing and wrested away wide areas of south bank including Fanchang, Nanling, Tsingyang, Tikang and other cities, broadcast states.

Sent Department 826, repeated Shanghai and OffEmb Canton unnumbered.

Stuart
  1. Kuomintang (Nationalist Party).
  2. People’s Liberation Army (Communist).