U.N. Mediation Attempt In Suez Canal Dispute

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28100, 16 October 1956, Page 13

U.N. Mediation Attempt In Suez Canal Dispute

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) NEW YORK, October 15. The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Hammarskjold, today prepared to make a new effort to bring Britain, France and Egypt to agreement on a solution to the Suez Canal dispute.

The task of mediation was returned to the Secretary-General after Security Council endorsement of six principles for a settlement—worked out in private talks with Mr Hammarskjold last week—and a Soviet veto of a British and French demand for international operation of the canal.

The British Foreign Secretary, Mr Seiwyn Lloyd, has an appointment to see Mr Hammarskjold this morning. The Egyptian Foreign Minister (Dr. Fawzi) and his French counterpart (Mr Pineau) have already left New York. A French spokesman said it had not yet been settled when the three Ministers would get together for more talks with Mr Hammarskjold. He denied reports that they had decided to meet in Geneva or at United Nations headquarters later this month.

However, all three Ministers and the United States Secretary of State. Mr Dulles, and the Soviet Foreign Minister, Mr Dmitri Shepilov, are expected to be on hand for the opening of the General Assembly on November 12. The United Press, in a dispatch from Cairo, today quoted Egyptian Government sources as saying that direct negotiations with Britain and France probably would start at the end of this month in Geneva. Mr Dulles, before his return to Washington, conferred with Mr Lloyd early yesterday after the marathon Security Council meeting which ended the council’s consideration of the dispute for the time being. A British spokesman said it was possible that Mr Dulles and Mr Lloyd discussed the Suez Canal Users’ Association, which Britain is anxious to have in operation. The “New York Times,” reported that Mr Lloyd asked the United States to join in getting the users’ association operating this week, without waiting for completion of organisational details. Britain was reported to want the association to start to collect canal tolls from the nations which belonged to it. Mr Dulles according to the “New York Times” promised to answer Mr Lloyd’s request through diplomatic channels. The newspaper said that British circles reported that Britain would use force to assure passage through the canal if Egypt stopped a British ship after the association began operating. Mr Dulles Optimistic After his return to Washington Mr Dulles said that there were good grounds for hopes that a peaceful settlement of the canal crisis was in the making. Negotiations would go ahead as if there had been no Soviet veto, he said. The United Press r eport from Cairo said that informants there expected that Mr Hammarskjold and Mr Krishna Menon of India would continue their peace-making efforts during direct talks and help the two sides reach a peaceful settlement. The informants said that Mr Hammarskjold was likely to visit London, Paris and Cairo shortly to prepare the ground for direct negotiations. The 78th veto in United Nations history killed the balance of the British-French resolution which would have endorsed the London proposals for international control of the canal and would also have called on Egypt to co-operate with the Canal Users’ 1

Association. Mr Shepilov contended this would encroach on Egypt’s sovereignty. Jugoslavia also voted against this portion, making the vote 9-2 in its favour. Even although they have not much to show so far for their efforts in bringing the case to the Security Council, the Western Powers regard the overwhelming vote of the council in favour of internationalisation as a moral victory which might have an effect on Egypt’s future conduct of negotiations. Both Britain and France knew that the endorsement part of the resolution would be vetoed. That was why they raised no objection to the Soviet insistence that be voted in two parts. They felt tl ? at n was vor th the risk of the veto in order to demonstrate the amount of backing in the Security Council—and thus in the world—for their ideas.