Grave View Taken By British Government

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 April 1949, Page 8

Grave View Taken By British Government

LONDON, April 24. The British Minister of Defence (Mr A. V. Alexander) has postponed his departure for Norway because of the seriousness of events in China, says the Daily Mail. Mr Alexander was to have left London today for Oslo to make a series oi speeches in Norway. A Whitehall spokesman described the situation in China as very grave. The diplomatic correspondent of The Times says that the British Ambassador (Sir Ralph Stevenson) and his staff remain in Nanking, not because the Communist army has closed their exits, out. because of a deliberate policy. The British, together with other foreign missions in Nanking, will await the establishment of. a neu authority in the city, and will consult together on what their relations should be. For Britain, the Communist shelling of British warships on the Yangtse river overshadows all other immediate problems, and presents the first matter on which satisfaction will be sought.

Cease-Fire Refused The British Embassy in Nanking announced today that the Chinese Communists had refused to cease fire to allow the rescue of the damaged sloop, Amethyst, which has been disabled on the Yangtse river since last Wednesday. The Embassy said that its first secretary (Mr Edward Youde) returned to Nanking today, alter crossing to the north bank 01. the river to try to arrange for a cease fire. His mission was unsuccessful. The Amethyst is still in the position off the south bank where she anchored yesterday. She has not been molested today. Naval officers in London believe that the remaining crew of the Amethyst will scuttle their ship and attempt to escape by land. Twenty-three of the men killed were buried yesterday in the International cemetery at Shanghai.. A Chinese Communist radio report claimed that the British warships had inflicted 252 casualties on the Communists. , , A Royal Air Force Sunderland was fired on when it flew low near the Amethyst this morning. The aircraft’s petrol tank was pierced, but the aeroplane returned to Shanghai safely. The British Cabinet will meet tomorrow to consider the answer which the Prime .Minister’ (Mr Attlee) will give in the House of Commons on Tuesday to a question by the leader of the Cppositioir (Mr Churchill) on the attacks on British warships on the Yangtse. The Foreign Secretary (MrErnest Sevin) will submit to the Cabinet detailed Foreign Office reports on the incident. . L x 7 x Reuter says that important statements on the shelling of British warships on the Yangtse will be made m Parliament on Tuesday by Mr Bevin and the First Lord of the Admiralty (Viscount Hall).- “Members of the Hous? of Commons, will want to know vflry the British naval authorities on the spot sent the Amethyst up the river, knowing that the Communist ultimatum to the Nationalists was about to expire,” says Reuter. “It will also be asked why, in the circumstances, the Amethyst was not provided with air cover.” ' Serious Repercussions

The British national Sunday newspapers are unanimous in declaring that the Yangtse incidents are likely to have

serious repercussions in the British Admiraltv, and even in the Cabinet itself. In a front-page leading article, the Sunday Pictorial says: “The Brnisii authorities were caught unawares over the humiliating Yangtse river battle. The whole position was gravely misjudged. Men in high places have blundered.” _ . , The British Labour Parly s newspaper, the Daily Herald, protests in a leading article against the “deplorable way in which the British national Sunday newspapers have treated the story of the shelling of the Amethyst “before knowing the full facts.” The Daily Herald emphasises (1) that the Chinese Communist and Nationalist forces were not engaged in battle at the time the Amethyst was ordered through; (2) the Communist ultimatum to the Nationalists had not expired; and <3) that “there was not the slightest reason to expect that the Communists would attack the Amethyst, because they knew she was on a peaceful task, and British ships, engaged on similar tasks had been passing up and down the Yangtse since October. The Daily Herald accused the Opposition newspapers of using the Yangtse tragedy for their political ends.