12 OCTOBER 1985, Page 29

War crime

Sir: Mr Kingsley Amis in his review of the dedication and acknowledgments to my book, Hummingbirds and Hyenas, strays briefly into the text to be affronted by my opinion of the moral standing of the people who sank the General Belgrano. May 1 ask if the trailing of a ship for 11 hours together, during all of which it was outside the British-defined War Zone and sailing away from it, having knowledge of that ship's recall to harbour and then scorching to death or drowning 300 sailors, is not a war crime?

Edward Pearce

Lyndon House, 44 Blackett's Wood Drive, Chorleywood, Hertfordshire