‘INTERFERENCE’ AT SUEZ

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28216, 2 March 1957, Page 3

‘INTERFERENCE’ AT SUEZ

Reported Action Of U.S. Warship

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, Feb. 28. : The American magazine “Newsweek” reported today that the United States Sixth Fleet did interfere in last year’s BritishFrench naval operations against < Efeypt. It said this news “will shock the House of Commons, which J has heard repeated denials of interference.” ’ .The magazine said that the United States aircraft - carrier 1 Coral Sea steamed through the destroyer screen surrounding the British carrier Bulwark, impeded the landings and takeoffs, and caused the British Commander-in-Chief to complain to the NATO Mediterranean Command. When the Coral Sea abruptly turned away, the Bulwark flashed an angry parting message: “Next time we will ask you to breakfast.” The naval correspondent of “The Times,” discussing the report, recalls that on November 28, Lord Hailsham, who was then First Lord of the Admiralty, said in the House of Lords, aftpr there had been widespread press speculation, that “there were contacts between the Sixth Fleet and oilr carrier task force which not unnaturally resulted in some temporary inconvenience to both fleets.” The British Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, had received a courteous message from Vice-Admiral Brown saying that their orders were to remove United States nationals from the . combat area. “Friendly Exchange” ' Lord Hailsham added: “In ! consequence of these contacts 5 there was a friendly exchange : of personal signals between the two admirals as a result of which each force offered the J maximum co-operation consistent J with the discharge of their re-

spective missions in such a way as to avoid interference or accidents due to mistaken identity.’’ They were couched in the most courteous terms, he added. In reply to a supplementary question, Lord Hailsham said he understood there were “some light-hearted and slightly frivolous visual exchanges between the commanders on a slightly less exalted level, which reflected not at all upon the good relations of the two navies.”