Mao Tse-Tung Dies In Peking At 82; Leader Of Red China Revolution; Choice Of Successor Is Uncertain
Party In Unity Plea
Appeal to People Is Coupled With Delayed Disclosure of Chairman's Death
By REUTERS
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Peking, Sept. 9--Mao Tse-tung, the pre-eminent figure of the Chinese Communist revolution and the leader of his country since 1949, died today at the age of 82.
His death, at 12:10 A.M. after a long illness, left uncertain the question of who was to succeed him. There is no designated heir, nor is there anyone among his subordinates who commands the awe and reverence with which he was regarded among the 800 million Chinese.
The party leadership delayed the announcement of Chairman Mao's death for about 16 hours until 4 P.M. [4 A.M. Thursday New York Time]. The announcement included an appeal to the people to uphold the unity of the party that he had headed.
Plea to Follow Mao's Policies
It said China must "continue to carry out Chairman Mao's revolutionary line and policies in foreign affairs resolutely."
It urged the people to "deepen the criticism" of former Deputy Prime Minister Teng Hsiao- ping, who was toppled in the power struggle that followed the death in January of Mao's closest comrade in arms, Prime Minister Chou En-lai.
After the disgrace of Mr. Teng, Hua Kuo-feng, regarded as a centrist, was made Prime Minister and First Deputy Chairman of the party.
Funeral music followed today's announcement broadcast over the Peking radio, and 2,000 people gathered in the vast Tien An Men Square, many wearing black armbands, some weeping. Flags fluttered at half staff.
'Internationale' Heard Across City
"The Internationale," the world Socialist anthem, echoed over the city from loudspeakers at dusk as bicyclists made their way home from work.
Eight days of memorial ceremonies were scheduled to begin Saturday and end Sept. 18 with the entire nation standing in silent tribute for three minutes but with trains, ships and factories sounding sirens.
The announcement said that no foreign leaders would be invited to Peking during the period of mourning.
Chinese embassies abroad, it said, would express gratitude to foreigners wishing to come, but would "inform them of the decision of the Central Committee of our party and the Government of our country not to invite foreign governments, fraternal parties or friendly personages."
It was believed the actual cremation or burial would be attended only by the Chairman's family and top members of the party, the Government and other organizations.
Peking Radio and Hsinhua, the Chinese press agency, said Mao's body would be in state in the Great Hall of the People.
The radio announcement of Mao's death was a simple one. It said: "Mao Tse-tung passed away at 0010 hours on Sept. 9 (12:10 P.M. Wednesday, New York time) because of the worsening of his illness and despite all treatment, although meticulous medical care was given him in every way after he fell ill."
Parkinson's Disease Indicated
While the announcement did not specify the illness, which had kept Mao out of the public eye for months, it was widely believed that the chairman had been suffering from Parkinson's disease, which cause progressive rigidity of the body's muscles.
It had been known for some time that Mao was approaching the end. Meetings with visiting statesmen had been cut to 15 to 20 minutes. Official photographs showed him seated, his head back against the top of his chair.
Mao last appeared in public on May Day 1971. For just a few minutes he sat on a rostrum overlooking Tien An Men Square to watch a fireworks display. A sea of faces sought a glimpse of him, but most of the time he stayed out of sight, sipping tea behind a parapet.
The last foreign leader to see him was Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan on May 29. He said that Mao had a bad cold and was frail, but that he "was very quick on the uptake and grasped everything."
President Ford visited him last December.
The announcement of Chairman Mao's death was preceded by warnings over the radio that an important broadcast would be made at 4 P.M.
The announcement was addressed to "The whole party, the whole army and people of all nationalities throughout the country."
It was given out by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China and the Military Commission of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.
"All victories of the Chinese people were achieved under the leadership of Chairman Mao," the statement said in eulogizing the man who led the Communist takeover in 1949 and then dominated the nation as he guided it from backward isolation to the status of a nuclear power with a burgeoning industrial base, purging rivals, defying Soviet ideological leadership, opening a relationship with the United States and winning a seat in the United Nations.
In factories, shops and apartment houses, residents gathered around their sets.
The faces of the comparatively few people on the streets were grim; some were close to tears.
Hundreds of people gathered in the clusters in the center of the city. One crowd heard a man on a stepladder make a speech honoring Mao.
Traffic seemed to have thinned out. Although a few cars and bicycles were on the streets, it seemed that many people had rushed indoors to hear the news.
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