B
*
940957
11
INWARD TELEGRAM.
A
TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES.
AUG
I
1949
E
33A
OOPY FOR REFRATION
FROM HONG KONG ( Sir A. Grantham)
En clair
D. 5th August, 1949 R. 5th
It
15.45 hrs.
11 AUG 1349
No. 805
7.
Addressed to S. of S.
Repeated by savingram to Commissioner General Singapore
"Consulate General Canton
18
11
Following is complete text of release on AMETHYST escape distributed by New China News Agency Hong Kong.
A Infamous Escape of AMETHYST by shelling and sinking Chinese steamer.
Ат
Nanking 2nd August.
Several hundred passengers on board the Chinese Steamer KIANGLING were drowned when it was sunk at 10 p.m. 30th July by the British Naval Vessel AMETHYST, which fled from a guarded part of the Yangtze River off Chinkiang, according to a statement made by General Yuan Chunghsien, Commander of the People's Liberation Army at the Chinkiang Front on 30th July, The AMETHYST was crippled and captured by the People's Liberation Army when it invaded Chinese inland waterway and bombarded People's Liberation Army positions on 20th April. General Yuan Chunghsien stated that the AMETHYST forced the passenger boat S. S. KIANGLING, which was sailing down river, to sail alongside, as a shield against shells of the People's Liberation Army and as a screen between it and the shore, When the People's Liberation Army discovered the escape and signalled for the AMETHYST to stop, the AMTHYST opened fire on the S.S. KIANGLING, which caught fire and sank.
While the People's Liberation Army men were rescuing the passengers of the S. S. KIANGLING the AMETHYST swiftly sailed past the passengers in the river and fired on the junks engaged in rescue work, As a result most of the passengers were drowned and only a few could be rescued, while many junks were sunk,
This was how the AMETHYST escaped from the watch of the People's Liberation Army and fled out of the Yangtze River.
The British Naval Authorities conducted negotiations eleven times with the People's Liberation Army for the release of the AMETHYST after it was captured, stated General Yuan Chunghsien. The People's Liberation Army insisted that the British Authorities must admit its error in the criminal action of 20th April and be prepared to talk on the question of reparations as the minimum conditions for upholding Chinese national sovereignty and honour before the People's Liberation Army would consider the release of the AMETHYST.
The British Representatives in the negotiations adopted the tactics of biding for time and evading responsibility. These negotiations have now turned out to be only a trick to wait for an
/opportunity
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