MILITARY AND POLITICAL INFORMATION: ACTIVITIES OF COMMUNIST TROOPS IN TAIAN, SHANTUNG

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R000600830004-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 9, 2001
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: June 24, 1947
• Content Type: IR

as document contains information
eatiwu
emtIng the national defen
UaitedAt&PciottdYEAr eclC IA-
Espionage 'Act, VO, U.S.C. 31 and 34....,TT,
as amended. Its transmission or '"""'"
the revelation of its contents in CONTROL 25X1
any manner to an unauthorized U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
person is prohibited
D7 law. CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE 'GROUP
INTEIJJGENCE REPORT
COUNTRY China
SUBJECT Mint/try and. Political Information:
Activities of Communist Troops in
Taian, Shantung
25X1A
ORIGIN
25X1C
II une 1947
PAGES 2
SUPPLEMENT
25X1X
25X1A ==No".;iz4 U-W4.an has oLarged hands Zouv Vimes within 'die
past year. The Communists captured it in June 1946 and held it
until 2 April 1947, when the Nationalists recaptured it. On
2g April the Communists retook it and held it again until 6 May,.
When the Nationalists re=entered the town. As of 26 May the
Communists were again attempting to capture the town. This
report concerns the period of Communist occupation from June
1946 to April 1947, when source left Taian.)
.1.7.MA-PieSQINIMI.A.te-traeoMeirliallaILDreta
1. There were several types of Communists. troops in Taian (117-U1,36-14).
a. New 42.Army_tzegge.? composed of Kiangsu and Chekiang men,
who seemed very homesick and might have surrendered if offered
good terms. They insisted they were not Communists but were .
"Democrats" and objected to being called "comrade". Source saw
them under fire and considers them good fighters. The New
4th Army soldiers were somewhat antagonistic toward the 8th Route
Army because they claimed that the New 4th does the fighting -
and capturing of cities. Then the 8th Route Army occupies the
captured cities and orders the New 4th to battles elsewhere.
b. "22.211.9.P...ittiarlikrZY! 1122:2s or 8thjiauLLALTIY re. lars_
wear uniforms like those of the New 4th Army and are armed with
-
with machine guns, rifles and hand grenades (sometimes only the
latter). They are not as well-disciplined as the New Fourth Army:
troops (see paragraph 2) but are not so bad as Nationalist
troops, whose first interests after saving themselves-arc
"gambling, majong, and concubines".
c. Till Pa Lu or 4ocal. 8th Route Army troops- or r; revolvers,
do noweax-r-77i1".751-nsi,-MirirgraMw?reohs
DiscialiaLlaaJlaLaIl
2. The men of the New 4th Army are well-disciplined. Source believes
that the Chinese Communist troops are "better behaved" than any
Chinese troops he has ever seen. They are adeqUately supplied
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NO CHANGE in Class. Vto?
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with food and necessities. Heavy levying of grain, etc., is made
for the sustenance of troops so that they do not take anything
from shops and market stalls without paying for it themselves.
VThen the New 4th Army troops occupied source a9 compound they did
not steal anything. Then they departed they returned everything
they had borrowed, much to the astonishment of source. Officers and
nen year the same uniform, eat the Same food, and carry their own
packs. -Officers and men walk, aS mules are used only for arms
and equipment. The morale of the Cormunist soldier is good also
because he knows that his family is cared for by the Communists.
Formerly families of soldiers in Communist territory received grain
allowances each month0 liecently,vith heavier conscription taking
place, if a young son is conscripted, the family is given two acres
(mou?) of liand from a r h landowner and provision made for its
tilling if the family is incapacitated. .,:hen a soldier is killed,
his family is cared for by the Communists. In contrast, a Nationalist
soldiers first concern is to save his own life, knowing that his
family receives no grain or allowance of any kind upon his death.
25X1A note: There is a law governing compensation for families
of Nationalist soldiers who are killed, but in actual practice families
rarely receive compensation.)
Cor_mikalgits .and Tiob,13.1t2
8th Route Army officers told source that they will not engage
in a battle unless they outnumber the Nationalists three or even
four to one because they know that their equipment is far inferior
to that of the Rationalists. if Uationalist troops anpenr in force,
the Communists always retreat; if the Communists find a small group
of Nationalist troops, they attack immediately. Communist troops
claim they can travel forty-five miles a night between 1800 hours and
0600 hours. The Nationalists move only twenty miles a day in spite
of motor transport and air support, which may actually be a hindrance
instead of n help to them.
DearereAlitalleareatQD.9.=
4. The Communist excuse for damaging property is to keep the Nationalists
. . -
from using it. - Before leaving Ta Ian the
Communists tore up the railway from Kushnn (116-52,36-33) to Yenchou
(116-54,35-36)? carrying away all rails, selling sleepers, and blowing
up the firidges. The railroad station in Tnian was also torn down,
the water tnnkr removed; and the pumping stations dismantled. All
roofs, doors rinr1 windues of the Taian Railroad Hotel and the extensive
buildings added by the Jepanese wore removed, with the local populace
being encouraged to help. Generators in the electric plant were re-
moved, the chimney torn down, and the roof ripped off. Electric wire
poles were cut down and the local flour mill dismantled. The extensive
water pipe system installed by the Japanese was dug up and washed
and the iron pipes sold to the local populace. Mission church buildings
were wrecked0 source was told that great damage had been done to coal
mines in southern ',Ilantung at Tsaochuang (117-38,34-55) and leierhe.
chuene (117-e?34-36) and the smaller mines at Hsintai (117 3
e-
-45 5-54)
and Laiwu (117-39,3E-12).
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