WHY ESCAPE BID WAS MADE
Received Monday, 10.5 a.m. LONDON, July 31. Lieut-Commander Kearans, the Amethyst's commander, was authorised to make the sloop's spectacular escape from Communist activity on the Yangtze "in view of the persistent Communi-st refnsal to give the ship normal facilitie.s and a safe conduct." This was announced in a joint Foreign Office and Admiralty statement issued today. The authority was given because, after three months, the Amethyst's commander had not succeeded in obtaining a safe conduct upon acceptable tei'ms, and conditions for the ship's company were steadily deteriorating.'' The statement pointed out that the Communist authorities had relused to di^-i1-!.?- the responsibility for the April shelling of the Amethyst with the British Ambassador at Nanking. Instead the local Communist military authorities had made the "unacceptable demand" that Lieut.-Commander Kearans should sign a document admitting British responsibility for the incident in return for a safe conduct.
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Chronicle (Levin), 1 August 1949, Page 5
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149WHY ESCAPE BID WAS MADE Chronicle (Levin), 1 August 1949, Page 5
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