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Show U. S. Ponders Action in Ship Shelling WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 (INS) A spokesman said Wednesday that the state department Is seeking seek-ing to determine what action. If any, to take as a result of a Chinese Chi-nese Nationalist gunboat's firing aa ta Isbrandtsea Una freighter Flying ClouO. .- The department Issued no pass- tive statement, but the spokesman expressed belief that ths poslUaa of the U. 8. government remains Managed. - 'la Seoul. Harold 8. Fish, agent of the Isbrandtsea 11ns, said damage dam-age to the ship was "not too serious," seri-ous," snd that It Is expected to arrive at the south Korean port of Pus an Thursday night. , - Fish said ths vessel's master had radioed that be was anchored out-aide out-aide the Shanghai patrol sons to make temporary repairs. The Isbrandtsen line reported that the Nationalist gunboat "fired hundreds of rounds of various caliber. cal-iber. Including three-Inch shells" at the Flying Cloud, "causing some damsge to he superstructure." The stoaiuehlp company added that "there were holes inside the ship," but said that all persons aboard escaped Injury. Isbrandtsen demanded that the U. S. government "take appropriate appropri-ate action." Previously, ths line had urged that American naval eecorta be supplied for its ships operating In Chinese waters. The government position hss been an official warning to American Ameri-can ahipping firms that the Chinese Chi-nese Nationalists were undertaking undertak-ing a blockade of Communist-held ports, and that ships which attempted at-tempted to run the blockade did so at their own risk. v When three Isbrandtsen vessels were forcibly detained by the Nationalists Na-tionalists recently, the firm demanded de-manded In New York that the U. 8. furnish naval escorts. |