TALKS ON SUEZ SHELVED

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27306, 24 March 1954, Page 11

TALKS ON SUEZ SHELVED

Effect Of Incidents In Canal Zone

LONDON, March 22. The Foreign Secretary (Mr Eden) said today that it was not possible in present circumstances to resume negotiations with Egypt on the future of the British base in the Suez Canal Zone. He regretted that conditions in the Canal Zone had “deteriorated very leriously in the last week.” Mr Eden said: “There have been a somber of incidents in which four British officers and men have lost their lives. Several others have been wounded and two have disappeared.” Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Eden blamed the Egyptian authorises for the deterioration of order in the zone, which, he said, was due to their failure to take the necessary Heps” “The Egyptian Government has repeatedly asked us to have confidence in it It is for the Egyptian Governto show by its actions that it is prepared to create the necessary conditions for such confidence,” he said.

Ambassador’s Request Britain's Ambassador (Sir Ralph Stevenson) had demanded that those responsible should be removed from fee Canal Zone. He had asked for the trial of those involved in the murders and said that measures must be taken to prevent the carriage of arms by civilians. Mr Eden said the British Ambassador had repudiated a suggestion that the death of an Egyptian police officer on March 11 in any way justified the attacks on British troops. He said that two British servicemen had been placed under arrest by the British military authorities and investigations were proceeding. _ The Foreign Secretary was answerhig questions by two Labour backbenchers. Mr Arthur Henderson and Mr Woodrow Wyatt, who had pressed know whether negotiations with Egypt were being resumed, and what *as their progress. Mr Henderson asked whether. Mr Eden would not seek to resume Negotiations as soon as possible and to conduct them himself, as he did when the present 1936 treaty with Egypt *'as negotiated. Mr Eden replied that the question of availability” of the Suez Canal Base fr the event of a British withdrawal “fundamental to the whole agreement” “If we are to reach an agreement there must be conditions of confidence, action must be taken by the Egyptian Government to create those Monitions,” he said. CHILLED BEEF FROM N-Z. effect of higher freight rate _ LONDON, March 22. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food (Dr. Charles Hill) W the House of Commons today that •hs. increased freight rates on New Maland chilled beef would raise the Procurement costs by 5-8 d per lb.