Eleven Chinese Airliners Desert To Reds

Chronicle (Levin), 10 November 1949, Page 5

Eleven Chinese Airliners Desert To Reds

(N.Z.P.A.-

-Reutef.

Cowright)

Received Wednesday Midnight HONGI KONG-, Nov. 9. Nine China National Aviation Corporation and two Central Air Transport Corporation aircrait took off from Kaitak Airfield, Hong Kong, this morning and have failed to report arrival at their stated destinations. It is helieved they have defected to the Communists. The aircraft took no paying passengers, but it is believed t£ey carried the Chinese general managers of both corporations. A numher of ground personnel were aiso aboard. The cargo included aircraft spare parts. The reported destinations of the aircraft were Nanning, Kweiyang and Taipeh, all in Nationalist China. The Nationalist Government has a majority financial interest in "both v corporations, and Pan-American Airways has a considerahle holding in the Cliina National Aviation Corporation. Communist agents are reported to have approached the workers in both corporations recently urging them to defect to the Communists. It is believed that many workers feeling the Nationalist cause doomed and their job jeopardised were willing listeners. The deadlock still continued this morning at the mouth of the Yangtze between the Chinese Nationalist wasship and the intercepted blockaderunning British merchantmen Tsinan and Wosang. The merchantmen are reported to be prepared to hold out indefinitely rather than submit to t he warship's demand that they return to Shanghai and discharge their cargoes as a condition of release.