A telegram from Tatsienlu says that the situation there, after 20 days of siege by communists, gets worse day by day; all the roads have been blocked and food supplies are running low. The missionaries there were advised by the government to leave when the Reds were approaching. but they chose to remain with their Christians. The Iasi. message from them said that they Were in danger.
The communists besieging Tatsienlu are part of the army which failed to make its way through Kansu and turned back into western Szechwan, occupying towns and villages near the Tibetan border.
There is a garrison of 6,000 regular soldiers under General Lee at Tatsienlu.
The other troops marching to the relief of the district are finding it difficult to reach their objective. The mountainous country makes marching laborious. Communist bands roving about the province have several times checked their progress.