First British Ship Uses Suez Canal

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28258, 22 April 1957, Page 11

First British Ship Uses Suez Canal

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 10 p.m.) CAIRO, April 20. A second British ship and the first United States ships are reported to be preparing to go through the Suez Canal. Last night the 3650-ton British ship West Breeze sailed through from Suez to Port Said and then out into the Mediterranean. Her canal tolls were paid in Swiss francs. She had a quiet passage, but was watched by large crowds. There are conflicting reports about the second British ship, the 7127-ton Poplar Hill, from Hong Kong. According to the Egyptian Canal Authority, she arrived at Suez yesterday, but her London agents said she was at Massawa, Ethiopia, pending further advice on the British Government’s attitude. However, the ship’s agents in Egypt said she had already paid tolls in Swiss francs. In New York, a spokesman for the American President Lines said that the 9277-ton cargopassenger ship President Jackson, which was in the Red Sea on her way from Karachi, would be ready to enter the canal at Suez on Tuesday. In Washington yesterday shipowners were reported to have told the State . Department that they intended to start sending ships through the canal from next week. President Eisenhower said on Wednesday that it was up to individual shipping companies. In Tel Aviv, the United States Ambassador to Israel (Mr Edward B. Lawson) is continuing his talks with Israeli leaders. Israeli officials said the American proposals now advanced for a solution of the Suez question seemed to disregard Israel’s rights of passage through the canal. French Boycott France has virtually ordered her shipping to boycott the Suez Canal indefinitely, according to the American Associated Press. Financial pressure which the French Government exerts in the form of subsidies and control of foreign exchanges will ensure

that French vessels do not follow British and American ships through the canal, informed sources have reported. French officials have partially confirmed these reports, the news agency said. It quoted ,a Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying that French vessels were still being strongly advised to avoid the canal until the dispute has been settled by international negotiations. The spokesmen had been asked whether France’s attitude might change now that a British ship had entered the canal after paying tolls to the Egyptian authority. The spokesman replied that France’s advice to her shipowners was unchanged and would stay unchanged for the foreseeable future. The French Government’s advice to French ships is: “Avoid the canal.” The spokesman said that his Government had more control over its shipping than the British and United States Governments had over theirs.