Evening star., 1951-10-19
Britain Tighfens Grip
On Suez and Bolsters
lis Military Forces
BY the Associated Press

SA41S)s GSyptf wv. l0.-DdCkcO
by growing sea, land and all
forces, Britain frightened her hold
on the strife-ridden Suez Cana
area today and moved against
Egyptian officials In the vast
Sudan area south of Egypt.
AS British naval guns trained on
the Suez. authoritative sources
here said the Sudan's British gov
ernor general. Sir Robert G. Howe
had ordered two top Egyptian of.
ficialS not to return to their posts
there for the time being ION
grounds of public order"
Local newspapers said the Egyp-
tian government had ordered the
officials back to Khartoum.
Coalition Fought i'm Sudan.
Britain and Egypt control the
Sudan jointly under an 1895
agreement which the Egyptian
Parliament tore up Monday night
at the same time it Cancelled the
treaty permitting limited British
garrisons along the Suez. The
British said they would recognize
neither onesided action.
The officials repeatedly barred
from the Sudan were Brig. Gen
Abdel Fattah BiSheri, chief Egyp-
tian staff officer there, and Mo-
hammed Abdul Hadi, controller
general Of education. They were
reported in Cairo.
Pro-Egyptian leaders in Khar-
toum were reported trying to form
a coalition Of all parties to sup
port the Egyptian Parliament
proclamation Of King Farouk as
ruler Of Egypt and the Sudan.
The pro-government newspaper
AL Balagh reported here that
British authorities in the Sudan
had banned all assemblies and
threatened force against any vio-
lators. In >Khartoum it was an
nounced a meeting of the Legis-
lative Assembly scheduled for ear
ly November had been moved up
to next Thursday.
Troops Digging In.
Both British and Egyptian
troops were digging in along the
canal area.
The British cruiser H. M. s.
Gambia arrived last night off Port
Said at the Mediterranean end of
the canal. Other sea forces were
expected soon from the Persian
Gulf, and a contingent of 1000
parachute troops were alerted at
Trieste for a move to the Suez.
A British spokesman said all
British naval movements are now
considered "operational" and will
be kept secret.
The Egyptian Interior Minister
said last night the Gambia had
arrived without advance notice to
Port Said authorities. This was
denied by British military
spokesman who said the Egyptian
Ministry Of Foreign Affairs had
been informed three days ago that
the cruiser would arrive Thurs
day.
The British were reported hold
ing Q strategic railway bridge
three miles west of the canal al
Nedsha. The report said the
British took over the bridge from
the Egyptians three days ago and
were stopping all trains, checking
passengers.
A British army spokesman had
asserted previously that the Brit
1sh had sealed of the area they
occupy alongside the canal and
had complete control Of all road
communications within the area
However, by arrangement with the
Egyptian command, the British
are allowing Egyptian soldiers east
OF the canal to pass through the
area II they give "A hours notice.
Egypt has an army division In the
Sinai Peninsula. east Of the canal
The Independent newspaper AL
Mokattam reported that all leave
mas been Cancelled for officers and
soldiers Of the Egyptian army.
A British spokesman at Port
Said stated that dock laborers had
walked out and that customs diff
culties were being encountered
He said the labor situation in the
canal area itself was good, with
only a few laborerS out,
The British already held the El
Ferdan bridge. which straddles
the canal itself about midway be-
tween Port Said and Ismailia. Two
Egyptian soldiers were killed in
the fight there Wednesday. the
f1rSt clash between British and
Egyptian troops.
Both British and Egvntian
troops dug in along the highway
linking Cairo and the canal. set
ting up gun emplacements in their
respective sectors. British Tom
mics were posted in fox holes
along a ridge near the waterway
A British spokesman said the
Britons still held the Ell Ferdan
bridge late yesterday and he
doubted the Egyptians would get
it back under present circum-
stances. The British said tbev
also still controlled Ismailia, where
the first rioting broke out Tues
day. The Egyptians said the Brit
1sh had withdrawn, leaving Egyp-
tian police in contrel.
Britain Warns Cairo
She Must Pay Damages
LONDON. Oct. 10 P.-Britain
tartly told Egypt today she will
hold the Cairo government re-
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