Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-17
Continued From First Page


sterly yesterday when word o
the tank sale became public.
State Department officials. as
tonished at the uproar. concedes
that they had forgotten al
about the tanks. Negotiation
for the sale started last sprint
the Arabs originally asked 70
SO tanks-and we're completes
in September. Responsible Stat
Department officials assumed tn,
vehicles had been delivered loni
ago.
/ Reports Of public reaction Il
news of the tank shipment wen
Ito Secretary Dulles. vacation
ling aboard a ship OF thi
Bahamas; to President Essen.
hover, quail shooting in Thomas.
willie, Ga. and to Secretary Of
sDefense Wilson.
y Hagerty Summons Press
/ Early today White House Press
Secretary James C. Hagerty
scalled q news conference al
3Thomasville to announce that HI
understood" the shipment Of
tanks to Saudi Arabia, a bis
Arab rival of Israel. was sus-
pended. Mr.. Hagerty suggested
reporters check later today with
the State Department.
4 Almost simultaneous with the
Hagerty press conference. how.
ever, State Department Pres:
Spokesman Lincoln White tele-
sphoned Washington reporters
with this pre-dawn announce
sment::
/ IAN export permits Of arms tc
the Middle East are being tenn
porarily suspended pending fur
ther examination"
Armed with 76-MM. Gun
I The tanks are 25-ton Walker
Bulldogs. Each carries q 16-
'milimeter gun. two machine guns
and a crew of four. The 40
mile per-hour vehicles are pri-
marily for patrol.
Y Government officials were not
sure whether the tanks had
sbeen loaded aboard the freishter,
the s. S. James Monroe. The
Associated Press reported from
New York that the tanks were
aboard barges tied up near the
vessel.
I Government officials said, how
ever. that even if the tanks got
aboard the ship and it should
sail in order to keep on schedule.
the tanks would not be unloaded
in Saudi Arabia.
I Cancellation of the shipment
was especially embarrassing to
the United States in its rela-
lions with Saudi Arabia. The
United States is about to start
snegotians for the continued use
of the big Air Force base in
Dhahran. Saudi Arabia.
The United States first won
rights to use the base In 1851,
At the same time this country
signed an agreement giving
Saudi Arabia the right To buy
arms in the United States.
New Workers Casks Ban
Representative Rooney. Dem.
ocrat of New York, had asked
the State Department late yes.
terday to halt the shipment.
They ought to hold up de-
livery Of the tanks even though
the sale was made some time
back" said Mr.. Rooney. who Is
chairman of a subcommittee on
State Department appropria-
tons.
Similar sentiments were sound
ed on the Senate floor.
Senator Douglas. Democrat Of
Illinois. said Secretary Dulles
SHOULD be brought before the
Foreign Relations Committee
without delay to explain this
whole matter" Senator O'Ma-
honey. Democrat of Wyoming,
also wanted Mr.. Dulles to ap-
pear Immediately before the
committee.
/. Senator Humphrey, Democrat
of Minnesota. said, the Soviets
must be laughing out loud"
Noting that Mr.. Eisenhower
was in Georgia. Senator Humph-
rey said 1T seems every time
something like this Is done. it's
done when there is no proper
supervision on hand TO double
check it."
While Democratic Senators
denounced the State Depart
ment. several Republican Sem
ators-including G. o. p. Leader
Knowland Of California--listened
silently.
Lehman Is shocked"
on the floor. Senator Lehman
Democrat Of New York. issued
o statement saying he was
shocked"
I'VE must certainly ask the
State Department for an ex-
plantation" he said. There must
be some kind Of an explanation
1t sounds too incredible.
Since November II, Israel has
been trying to buy some $50 mil
lion worth of weapons in the
United States. State Depart.
ment officials have declined Sc
far to approve such sale or
grounds that Washington die
not want to contribute to ar
arms race In the Middle East
Some State Department ON.
scials who have been offering ex.
plantations had forgotten about
the American tank deal witt
Saudi Arabia.
BY coincidence, however. Is.
raeli Ambassador Abba Ebar
and two Democratic Representa-.
tives from Brooklyn had q
chance to take UP the matter