Evening star., 1951-12-08
British Level
Egypt Village
To Build Road
Purotroops, Defying
Cairo, BuIIdoze Way
Post Site of Attacks
BY the Associated Press

FAYID, Egypt. Dec. 8.-Strong
British forces today demolished an
Egyptian mud hut village and be-
gan building short road and a
bridge to bypass spot where they
have been attacked by Egyptians.
Interior Minister Fouad Serag
Ell Din had ordered armed Egyp-
tian police in Suez to resist by
force, if necessary" but spokes-
man at British headquarters here
said not single shot was fired.
The tough 10th Parachute Bri-
Igade. whose trademark is it's red
beret, had started the project ex-
pecting trouble and was prepared
to fight off any Egyptian resist
ance.
The independent newspaper AL
Zaman in Cairo quoted Serag El
din as saying 5000 British troops,
I250 tanks and 500 armored cars
had been sent in to back up the
bulldozing operation. There was
no confirmation of this from any
British or Egyptian authority.
Force" Reported Ordered.
The British said only that five
tanks were being used to knock
down the huts. They added that
mo Egyptian police had been seen
in the area up to noon.
Shortly after noon. the Egyp-
tian Interior Ministry in Cairo
issued a communique saying that
Egyptian police have advanced
to execute Egyptian government
orders to stop" the demolitions
'by force" The communique
made no mention of immediate
violence.
Gen. Erskine Gives Order.
1t. Gen. George Erskine, COM
mander of the strong British gar
rison which holds the Suez Canal
area. had postponed building the
shortcut for "a hours. while he
negotiated with Egyptian officials
in SueZ.
But last night he gave the or
der to go ahead and said he was
finished with trying to reduce
friction between his troops and
the Egyptians unless the Egyp-
tians become more cooperative.
THE future lies in the hands
of the Egyptians" Gen. Erskine
said. I'VE are not looking for
trouble and we are doing every
thing possible to avoid it. But
we must meet violence with &C
1 ton"
The new road will bypass the
spot where Egyptians and British
clashed Tuesday. Two British
servicemen we're wounded; the
Egyptians said so Egyptians were
killed.
IS Homes in Way.
1t will shorten the distance be-
tween the British garrison and its !
water filtration plant on the
sweetwater canal which supplies
the British with drinking water.
The new road is 500 yards long
and will include new bridge
across the narrow canal.
British engineers estimated they
would finish the job in "a hours.
Bulldozers and engineering
units were working in the mud
through the morning with a
handful of spectators watching
from 800 yards away. Villagers
moved out of their huts during
the night.
The Egyptians said homes Of
about IS families were in the way
of the road. The British promised
compensation for the bulldozed
huts.
\ In Cairo there was feeling Of
diplomatic tension. highlighted by
United States Ambassador Jeffer-
son Caffery being called to the
Egyptian Foreign Office by Acting
Foreign Minister Ibrahim Farag
PaSha.
The subject of their discussion
was not known.
Earlier Mr.. Caffery had talked
with British Ambassador Sir
Ralph Stevenson in what the
American Embassy said was a
routine" consultation.