Evening star., 1961-09-18
u. N. CHIEF
HommorskjoId Killed in Crash
While Flying to Seek Truce
Continued From First Page

by the Congo's central govern
ment in Leopoldville.
Military Action Spreads
A dispatch from Usumbura.
in the bordering Belgian trust
territory of Ruanda- -Urundi,
reported an outbreak of fight
ing between Katangans and
Indian troops at Albertville, on
Lake Tanganyika. That would
spread the military action
hitherto confined to three main
centers across the heart of Ka-
tanga-Elisabethville, Jadot-
vile and Kamina.
After an overnight visit to
Ndola for the cease-fire talks
that never came off, Mr..
Tshombe headed north by mo-
tor car today. He had con-
terred here with British and
Rhodesian officials. He said he
did not intend to talk with the
chief U. N. representative in
katanga, Conor Cruise O'Brien.
Africa provided many prob
lens for Mr.. Hammarskjold in
his ,eight-year tenure as Secre-
tary-general and the Congo was
among the gravest of these.
Shooting was under way in
Elisabethville when he arrived
at Leopoldville last Wednesday
COR his third visit since Belgium
freed the Congo colony June
e0g 1860.
Plane Unarmed
His truce talk mission was
undertaken on the eve of the
opening of the U. N. General
Assembly's fall session m New
voTk tomorrow session where
strongly opposed viewpoints
we're likely to be aired on the
Satanga bloodshed.
White-run African nations
such as South Africa and the
Central African Federation oe-
nounced the intervention ard
Britain was among U. N. MEM
GERS regarding it coolly. The
United States and such avoWed-
y noncommitted nations as
india voiced support.
Mr.. Hammarskjold's plane
ras an American-built, four
engine Douglas airliner called
the Albertina. 1t was the Off
cial plane of 1t. Gen. Sean Nc
=Ieown, Irish commander of
Il. N. troops in the Congo. /
Unarmed, it was damaged by
,aachinegun fire as it took off
rom the airport at Elisabeth
vile Friday. but got dloft on
three engines and landed safely
At Leopoldville. There one en-
gine was replaced and the
others were checked for dam
age from stray bullets. The
planes fittings included radar
equipment.
The weather was good over
night around this copper min
ing center on the border. The
reason for the crash was un-
determined.
Erroneous reports yesterday
said Mr., Hammarskjold had in
fact arrived and met with Mr..
Tshompe at the police-guarded
Ndola control tower to open :
fire talks. But it devel-
oped hours later that the only
conferees were Mr.. TShombe
and British and Rhodesian Of
ficials.
The arrival of a plane from
Leopoldville that was the basis
flor these reports, it developed,
carried not the secretary gen.
.,ral but Lord Lansdowne, Brit
,sh Undersecretary of State for
Foreign Affairs. Both airport
authorities and newsmen, kept
cy police at a distance through
out, were left confused.
Mr.. Hammarskjold's plane
was given a clearance to
land IL minutes after midnight.
But then - said a statement
ssued by Lord Airport, British
nigh commissioner for the Gen.
tral African Federation-"This
plane, on which it was under
stood Mr.. Hammarskjold was
( passenger, passed overhead. I
Almost Immediately afterwards
contact ceased. After normal ,
interval, overdue procedure was
out into operation by Ndola
Airport authorities"
No Attempt to Land
Airport officials said Mr.
Harnmarskjold's plane made no
4ttempt to land although the
weather was good and the
olane's pilot said nothing to in
dicate that anything might be
wrong.
The pilot reported he was
overhead, was given clearance
20 land, and then seemed to
~efuse to answer any more ques-
ions" one official said.
Officials said at first an as
sumption was that Mr.. Ham
narskjold for some unknown
.eason had put back to an air
: iield in the neighboring Congo.
Contact between Ndola airport
md Congo fields had been
broken for the past two days
Gue to fighting in Katanga.
Mr.. Tshombe arrived here
yesterday in a plane escorted
oy Rhodesian Air Force planes
after the U. N. announced that
ne had made an approach for
truce talks.