SYRIAN OFFER TO U.N.

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28415, 23 October 1957, Page 13

SYRIAN OFFER TO U.N.

Facilities For Inquiry (Rec. 10.30 p.m.) DAMASCUS. Oct. 22. The Speaker of the Syrian Parliament and leader of the powerful Baath Socialist Party, Mr Akram Hourani. today offered the United Nations every facility for investigating Syria’s charges that Turkey was preparing to attack her—if Turkey granted the same facilities. The British United Press re- k ported that Mr Hourani suggested that a United Nations Investigation Committee, headed by or including the Secretary-General, Mr Hammarskjold. should visit Syria. Turkey and Israel. “We insist that all three countries be visited. We have nothing to hide.” he said. Mr Hourani accused the United States of “master-minding” a joint Turkish-Israeli plot against Syria. He charged that the United States was propagating the story that Russia was making Syria into an arms store for an attack on Turkey. "Russia does not need an arm? store. As everyone knows. Russia has a direct border with Turkey.” he said. He admitted that Syria had bought Russian arms and might buy more, the British United Press said. Pablo Casals ’Cello Prize (Rec. 9 p.m.) PARIS. October 21 An American ’cellist, Leslie Parnas, aged 26. won first prize in the three-day International Prix Pablo Casals which has just ended in Paris. Pablo Casals. the Spanish master ’cellist, himself attended the contest, at which 34 ’cellists from all over the world competed for the prize, valued at £2BO. Second prize went to Angelike Maes (West Germany). Third and fourth places went to Valentine Felguine and Lazko Alexis from the Soviet Union.

News reports yesterday that both Turkey and Syria had accepted an offer of mediation from King Saud of Saudi Arabia encouraged United Nations delegates to take a more optimistic view of the situation. But last night, Mr Salah Bitar, the Syrian Foreign Minister, who is in New York to lead his country’s delegation, said the reports were not in conformity with the facts. Shortly afterwards, the Turkish delegation issued a statement announcing their Government s acceptance of King Saud’s offer. Western diplomats privately blamed the Soviet Union for the Syrian stand. They said that Syrian acceptance of King Saud’s mediation would be a blow to the Russians because of the Ara’> monarch’s friendship for the United States. Mr Gromyko was thought to have impressed this view on Mr Bitar and to have reiterated the idea of sending an international commission to the Syria-Turkey border to examine the situation there at first hand. Mr Gromyko was, to have left for home about a week ago, but he postnoned his departure. He has already stayed much longer at the assembly than his predecessors. Mr V. M. Molotov, and Mr Dimitri Shepilov, usually did. Selling Wave On Stock Exchange NEW YORK. October 21. Wave after wave of heavy selling battered the stock market today, cutting prices one to six dollars a share in the sharpest drop since the big sell-off that followed President Eisenhowers heart attack in September. 1955. An estimated 6.300 m dollars was cut from the total value of all stocks listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Depressing corporation news was cited among the reasons for the heavy selling. There were reports of lay-offs and production cutbacks, and the steel operating rate fell below 80 per cent

The Syrian-Turkish crisis still provided an element of uncertainty.