'Govt knew intentions before Suez invasion’

Press, 10 January 1983, Page 4

'Govt knew intentions before Suez invasion’

NZPA London The New Zealand Government was told in 1952 of British military preparations in the Suez canal zone — four years before Anthony Eden's controversial invasion, according to British Cabinet documents published recently.

Eden, the Prime Minister in 1956, spoke in 1952 when Winston Churchill was Prime' Minister of the need for consultation with maritime, nations to keep the Suez Canal open. Egypt unilaterally abrogated the Canal Zone treaty with Britain in 1951, and demanded the withdrawal of Britain's 70.000 troops in the region. Anti-British riots followed early in 1952. Britain's chiefs of staff were instructed to maintain a high degree of preparedness to protect British lives and property. The governments of Canada, New Zealand. Australia.

and South Africa were told of Britain's military precautions. the hithertosecret papers showed, but India was told only of the deteriorating situation.

Eden in a memorandum to the Cabinet said Britain must take account of the rising tide of nationalism in the Middle East.

Britain's strategy was to maintain a base which supplied all the British forces in the Middle East, and which contributed more than anything else to British influence and prestige in the area. It also guaranteed the freedom of shipping for all nations , through the Suez Canal.

A series of proposals were put to Egypt for an international defence force for the region including Egypt. But before the end of the year King Farouk’s regime was overthrown by a military coup led by General Neguib.

A British diplomat in Cairo reported to London that he had been told that the coup was inspired by Communists and Moslem Brethren, and intended to be anti-capitalist in outlook. The Cabinet agreed with Eden that if the threat of a communist dictatorship developed it might be necessary to take action to protect British lives.

Eden then gave a hint of things to come. According to the Cabinet minutes he drew attention to the danger that an ill-dis-posed government in Egypt might restrict or stop traffic through the Suez Canal, either by obstruction or by pressure on the Suez Canal Company. Eden, according to the documents, suggested a confidential exchange of views between the maritime powers on the possibility of obtaining guarantees from the Egyptian Government.