U.N. Assembly Adjourns Long Session

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

U.N. Assembly Adjourns Long Session

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10. p.m.) NEW YORK, March 9. The United Nations General Assembly recessed its eleventh annual cession last night after providing for immediate recall if developments in the Middle East or Hungary require it. The Soviet Union tried to strike the Hungarian question from the agenda of the recessed session. The move was defeated by a 59-6 vote with two abstentions. The Secretary-General (Mr Dag Hammarskjold) told the closing session that all Israeli troops had left Egyptian territory. He said he would now turn his attention to securing the shaky Middle East peace and to making sure Israel and Egypt did not resume border raids against each other.

After the Secretary-General had announced details of the Israeli compliance with the Assembly’s six-times repeated call to withdraw, the United States delegate, Mr Henry Cabot Lodge, praised Israel for “heedifig the call of world opinion,” and Egypt for its “patience and forbearance.”' The Egyptian Foreign Minister (Dr. Mahmoud Fawzi) said the United Nations had proved to be “seaworthy and weatherproof” in handling the crisis. The Israeli Ambassador, Mr Abba Eban, said his nation agreed there was no room “for the exercise of belligerent rights” by any country in the Middle East. “We seek no Egyptian territory: we threaten no Egyptian interests,” Mr Eban said. “We seek to live without our women and children "being subject to instant death. We seek to have our ships sail freely with others in international waterways. We wish to -be able to develop our trade and commerce with all nations free from the strangulation* of blockade.” The eleventh regular session of the Assembly began last November 1. « Before its opening, the Assembly met in two simultaneous emergency sessions for 12 days. The twelfth regular session is scheduled to open next September 17. Until then, the current session will be held in readiness for reconvening on either the Middle East or the Hungarian questions. Only permanent representatives (ambassadors) and regular diplomatic staffs plan to stay on hand for any new meetings of the Assembly. Delegates today foresaw a period of high diplomitic activity aimed at settling the long-term problems of the Middle East.