From the South China Morning Post this week in: 1952 'It was a disaster for the west that China's revolution had taken a Communist form, but that was not Britain's fault,' John Strachey, war minister in Britain's former Labour government, was quoted as saying. Strachey was urging his Labour Party to 'denounce in the extreme' the bombing of the Yalu River power plants [on the border between China and North Korea] by American war planes, which 'would be felt in the world to have the character of widening' the Korean war. Strachey also noted that US secretary of state Dean Acheson 'had no real intention of making peace with China'. Nor, it seemed from a report the following day, had Acheson bothered to tell British prime minister Winston Churchill of an attack that significantly escalated the war, by provoking China. Compared with China, 'India's evolution', Strachey said, 'had taken a far more peaceful form which had enabled the friendship of the Indian people with Britain and with the west, in general to be not only maintained but enormously improved'. China's revolution 'was a fact that had to be faced ... even those who were most sore at the failure to prevent the Communists from gaining control ... now realised that it could lead to worldwide disaster to attempt to undo what had happened by force'. He believed 'there should be a clear-cut declaration on the part of all the governments of the United Nations, including the United States, that as soon as an armistice is concluded in Korea, China will be admitted to the Security Council, the government of Chiang Kai-shek will no longer be recognised and negotiations for the settlement of Formosa, probably by its neutralisation, will be begun'. A branch of the Bank of Communications, in Ice House Street, suspended business following a break-in. The night watchman had allowed the three intruders on to the premises of the Chinese bank after midnight the previous night because two of them were employees at the branch. The identity or background of 'the third man' was not disclosed. 'The intruders made no attempt to steal money, but they posted anti-communist slogans on the walls, near the vault, set fire to specimen signatures and draft receipts,' the report said. 'Indications were that the affair had a political aim, for the men spent some time writing anti-communist slogans,' on the bank's walls. 'These called on the Chinese people to fight against the Chinese Communists'. The report also said the three had taken 'the bank's official stamp, account books and important documents'. Consequently, the bank could no longer conduct its business and account holders were asked to contact its solicitors. Captain Colin Percival Miller, a 59-year-old Australian, 'one of the most popular master mariners along the China coast and a man of great personality', died in Tokyo after a month's illness. Miller fell ill while playing a round at the Nasu Golf Club, near Kobe, on June 14. At the golf course, he had been treated by the personal physician of Emperor Hirohito before being transferred to hospital, in Tokyo. Miller's maritime career off East Asia began in 1907, of which the most dramatic moment was in 1942, after the outbreak of the Pacific war. Miller's freighter was waiting to take on cargo at Manila when it was attacked by Japanese bombers, killing his first officer. Miller survived, going on to play golf in Japan 10 years later. From Cheltenham, England, it was reported that Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Berthon, 81, who 'held many political appointments in the Bombay Political Department between 1902-1920', had died. Among Berthon's claims to fame was his friendship with 'Ranji, late Maharajah of Nawanagar' [Ranji was the first non-white player to play Test cricket for England, replacing the great WGGrace as the hero of the crease]. Berthon also 'once shot three full grown tigers in 10 minutes with a single-barrelled .303 rifle'.