BRITAIN AND EGYPT

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26666, 27 February 1952, Page 7

BRITAIN AND EGYPT

Talks To Open On Saturday

CAIRO, Feb. 25. Talks between the Prime Minister (Aly Maher Pasha) and the British Ambasador (Sir Ralph Stevenson) will open on Saturday. This was announced to-night by one of the Prime Minister’s secretaries after a Cabinet meeting.

The Prime Minister, broadcasting to the nation, said if the talks did not succeed the Government would support the people in the national struggle. He added that Egypt was not prepared to negotiate on evacuation but on how to achieve it. This was interpreted by observers as indicating that Britain had accepted the principle of -evacuation, provided Egypt accepted some new plan for Middle East defence. A British spokesman said that once the differences were settled the talks might cease to be bilateral and become multilateral—to include Britain, the United States, France, and Turkey, the four Powers which last October offered Egypt membership in the Middle East Defence Command “in equal partnership as a founder member.” Egyptians set off trip flares last night when they tried to break into the British ordnance depot at Tel el Kebir, in the Suez Canal Zone. A British military spokesman said six shots were fired. No casualties were reported. Before dawn to-day two underground cables were cut in the area of El Ballah military depot, 15 miles north of Ismailia.