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Show 2 Navy Officers Back Dairen Edict Account By WILIJAM II. NEWTON (Representing the combined American press) SHANGHAI, Dee. 2S -From two of the United State navy officers who were on the bridge of the ship when the incident took place came further detaila Saturday of the Soviet ultimatum orderinr a navy courier veaael to leave the port of Dairen within 20 minutes "or we will not be responsible for the consequences." conse-quences." .The officers are Lt Cm dr. W. Gordon Cornell of Dong an Hills, Staten Island, N. T, and Lt (J g ) Charlea D. Arthur, Pittsburgh. Cornell served four years at aea during the war and holds the navy croaa. Cornell and Lt Arthur accompanied ac-companied the courier veaael on its trip to Dairen. Sharp Contract Their story of the Incident aboard the navy veaael la in sharp contrast to the recent announcement announce-ment by a spokesman for the United Unit-ed States state department that the Soviets did not "In any sense" laaua ah ultimatum to the navy hip. Both offlcera had been aahore and came aboard Just before be-fore the Soviet ultimatum waa leaned. "As we came through the gate of the port a Ruaalan major Jumped forward," Lt Arthur aald. "He a ass lied ua verbally, shrieking at us and pointing to the ship. We tried to let him understand that we did not speak Ruaalan. "Wa were quite aware of the fact however, that he waa very trpeet and angry about something;. A Ruaalan navy officer who waa also present at the gate apparently tried to moderate the Ruaalan army major. Ilarah Manner ."Accompanied by the Russian major and the naval officer, we went aboard. Cmdr. Edgar Yatea, senior naval officer aboard, met tie and they all want to the bridge. I followed them and that la when J noticed that they were talking In the aame harsh manner to Cmdr. Yataa. "When ' the - ultimatum waa given, Ena. Tilghman Koona, the navy Interpreter, aaked the Russian Rus-sian major to repeat it so he could get a perfectly accurate translation. transla-tion. Thla the Ruaalan major did. J think Ena. Koona had him repeat It three times in all. Thla was before the American consul, Mr. Bennlnghoff, or the captain of the ahlp came aboard. The Soviet officer requested that we leave the port without them and anchor In the harbor. I Informed In-formed them that I had Just seen the captain of the ahlp (Lt Ray White of Silver City, N. M.) In the street and that he was on his wsy. They still aaked ua to shove off and anchor outelde the breakwater. break-water. "About 10 minutes paeaed and the American consul and the diplomatic diplo-matic courier and the ahip's captain cap-tain appeared and we left" 'Angry Bnaalan' Cmdr. Cornell aald that aa he ' went to the bridge of the ahlp while the dlacuaalon waa going on 1 aaw a vary crowded pilot house and a vary angry Ruaalan major flailing hla anna around and gea-tieulaung gea-tieulaung and ehouting, with Ena. Koona Interpreting hia ultimatum." "It immediately struck me that thla wsa a matter for Cmdr. Yatea to handle, so I became an amazed spectator," Cornell Said. la four years of sea duty with the navy during the war never did I see a ahlp get under way so expeditiously." Cmdr. Cornell won the navy croaa for an action off the Aleutian Aleu-tian ialanda when the email navy patrol craft under his command rammed and Bank a Japanese aub-merine. aub-merine. In civil life he and hia brother Jointly operate a motor car company In Staten Island, N. Y. |
