Evening star., 1953-06-07
Mundt Says British
Give Reckless Data
On Trade With Reds

senator MunQCs NepuUIACdLI,
of South Dakota, last night
charged the British with giving
the American people careless
and reckless" information about
the extent of British trade with
Red China in the early part Of
this year.
AS acting chairman Of the
Senate Investigations subcom-
mittee. he made public data he
said has been confirmed by the
Defense Department.. showing
that 162 different free world
vessels made 264 voyages to Red
Chinese ports between December
90 and April 20.
The list included 100 British
vessels, which the subcommittee
claims made lit trips to Chinese
ports.
Exhibits Press Release.
The Senator exhibited a press
release of two weeks ago from
the information Office of the
British Embassy. which he said
contended that in the first GUAR
ter Of 1853 there were only 81
arrivals of British ships at Chi
nese ports. He said the word
ARRIVALS" was underScored.
I That statement is at complete
variance with the facts" said
Senator Mundt as he handed out
copies of the complete list Of
voyages. He said the 1T arrivals
listed by British ships was al
most double the number claimed.
Senator Mundt said that if a
truce is obtained in Korea, the
United States, before entering
another joint effort to stop ag-
gression. should get a commit
ment from our allies that they
are going to stay on our side"
and not trade with the enemy.
If the truce talks fail again,
Senator Mundt said the sub
committee hopes and expects the
administration and Congress will
make every effort to persuade
Britain to break off trade with
Red China.
Food Held Strategic.
Answering another claim in
the British press statement, that
the British ships were carrying
only non-strategic materials to
China, Senator Mundt said I'VE
contend that food is strategic in
time of war"
He referred to a news story
from Hong Kong yesterday re-
porting famine in parts of China.
He said that when a country is
fighting a war in Korea and has
a famine at home, food becomes
strategic.
In this connection, Senator
Mundt recalled the case of the
Perico. a British ship which was
alleged to have transported Com
munist troops. He said Wallem
Co.. Ltd. of Hong Kong. which
owned the vessel, explained that
the Perico twas Communicated
by the Communists at gun point
for this purpose while engaged
in carrying merchandise into
Red ports :"
Senator Mundt said this DEM
onStrateS that when any United
Nations ships go into an enemy
port it involves a risk that they
will be commandeered, because
the Communists are short on
shipping.
That kind Of shipping should
be completely stopped" Senator
Mundt continued, because even
if they carry sawdust or go in
ballast, you provide them with
the opportunity to commander
ships"
The South Dakota Republican
said its like loaning them a few
atomic bombs, because they are
short of bombs as we'll as ships"
Cites Other Allied Trips.
In addition to the 100 British
ships making lit trips from De-
camber % to April 20, the SUBJ
committee list showed the fol-
lowing others:
Sixteen Greek ships, making
20 trips; IL Norwegian. % trpis;
six Danish. IL trips: six Finnish.
six trips; five Swedish, six trips;
four French. four trips; four Ital-
ian. five trips; four japanese,
four trips: two Dutch, four trips;
one Pakistan, one trip; one Pam
amanian, one trip, and one In
dian, one trip.
The subcommittee explained
the four japanese ships were re-
turning repatriated japanese to
their homes in Japan.
In the case of the British. the
list gave 96 vessels by name.
Senator Mundt said there we're
four others which made one trip
each, but the names have not
H., oiftnn