US accepts liability in Japanese collision

The United States has accepted liability for the collision between an American nuclear-powered submarine and a Japanese freighter in the East China Sea earlier this month. The freighter sank after the April 9 incident. The US Navy in a short statement issued here said: "The Navy accepts liability for the collision between the USS George Washington and the Nissho Maru." The statement said the action did not intend to predetermine liability and responsibility of the ship's captain and crew, but was taken to preclude long litigation.