U.S. MIDDLE EAST PLAN

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28223, 11 March 1957, Page 9

U.S. MIDDLE EAST PLAN

Eisenhower Signs WASHINGTON. March 9. President Eisenhower ' today •igned a joint Congressional resolution embracing his plan to counter communism in the Middle East. He said in a statement: “The provisions of the resolution and. even more, the unity of national purpose which it reflects will increase the Administration's capabilities to contribute to reducing the Communist danger in the Middle East and to strengthening the general stability of the area.”

The written statement, distributed as the President signed the resolution under the glare of photographers’ floodlights, said the occasion marked an important forward step in the development of friendly relations between the United States and the Middle East area.

The President’s statement referred to the departure next Tuesday of a special mission to the Middle East “to explain the purposes of the resolution to the Middle Eastern countries, and to report to me on the most effective ways of carrying out these purposes.”

Hammarskjold To Visit Egypt

(Rec. 10 p.m.) NEW YORK, March 9. The United Nations SecretaryGeneral (Mr Dag Hammarskjold) will fly to the Middle East for on-the-spot discussions some time within the next three weeks, officials said today. They did not know at present whether Mr Hammarskjold would visit Cairo and Jerusalem, or whom he would see, except that he was certain to confer with the commander of the United Nations Emergency Force (Major-General E. L. M. Burns).

Colonel Nasser made the statement in an interview with the editor of the Indian newspaper. “Blitz.” He said he hoped the canal would be open to shipping by the end of March. Egypt has made no decision on Israel’s claim to use the canal and whether the use of the canal and the Gulf of Aqaba by the Israelis could be referred to the International Court.

The “Sunday Express” said today that to tell Colonel Passer now that British and French ships would refuse to pay full tolls to Egypt would be to invite endless procrastinations over clearance of the canal.

Some Ministers believe the best plan would be to pay the dues under protest and then, when the canal is operating fully, bring rhe issue up afresh, the “Sunday Express” said. “That would put Colonel Nasser in a spot. It would place on him the onus of again closing the canal to Britain and France. His position would be much less strong than it is now.”

A yacht and tug arrived at Suez today from Port Said—the first vessels through the canal since Egypt announced its reopening for small ships. The 147-ton yacht. Kuweit Maralvi, and the 238-ion Greek tug. Mikhalis, entered the canal yesterday. Clearing of Canal United Nations salvage teams were today still waiting for Egyppermission to start clearing the sunken tug, Edgar Bonnot, from the canal. One report from a reliable quarter in Cairo said that the authority had been granted to the Egyptian Canal Authority to allow the United Nations to start work, but the United Nations salvage chief. General Raymond Wheeler, said he had not received such word. Another United Nations official said the salvage teams were ready to start /work immediately. Egyptian Canal Authority officials said that about 225 pilots were ready to resume duty when the canal was reopened. They had been undergoing refresher courses at Port Said. Suez and Tsmailia for the last three weeks. Throughout the period the canal has been blocked, the pilots have been paid a total of about £205 a month. They have now been instructed to be constantly on call.

All *he 15 Russian pilots are still in Egypt, but only nine of the 16 American pilots remain.