Evening star., 1956-11-25
u. 5. Steering
Wary Course
With Nasser
BY the Associated Press

The United States appears to
be backing Egypt's demands for
swift withdrawal Of British.
French and Israeli invasion
forces without developing any
real trust for President Nasser's
Middle East policy.
I In the view Of top officials, the
Egyptian leader deservedly faces
bleak, uncertain political fu-
ture unless he drastically
changes his near-fanatic efforts
to rally the Arab world around
him with Russian support.
This Government has lined up
behind Egypt in this case, they
emphasized, because it is OPP
posed to aggression by anyone
even its closest allies-not be-
cause Col. Nasser's conduct of
the past few weeks has changed
the basic suspicion of him.
Despite what are considered
to be surface appearances to
the contrary. many officials here
have concluded that Col. Mas
ser's prestige and power is on
the downgrade in areas where it
counts.
Temporary Gain Seen
Temporarily. they agreed, Col.
Nasser probably has slightly
boosted his standing in the eyes
Of Arabs who credit him with
mobilizing enough foreign sup
port to block Britain and France
from Seizing the Suez Canal.
Offsetting this, however, is be-
lieved to be new opposition, most
of it under cover. which has de-
veloped both within Egypt and
among leaders of Col. NaSser's
wary Arab allies nearby.
Important Egyptian army
leaders are reported to have
complained bitterly about the
conduct of the short-lived fight
against Israeli, British and
French forces. Some Egyptian
businessmen are reported in
lcreasingly alarmed at the pros
Ipect of where Col. Nasser's
policies are moving Egypt. es-
Ipecially his dealings with
Russia.
Several important Arab leaders
who publicly have supported
Egypt's policies have privately
expressed serious alarm to Amer
Iican diplomats over Col. Nasser'S
behavior both before and partic-
Iularly after the fighting.
The main aim of the Eisen-
hover administration seems to
be to forge a policy Of dealing
with Col. NaSSer until it averts
THE immediate threat that the
Middle East crisis may erupt into
a bigger war.
Egypt's Economy WOrsens
Once British. French and Is
iraeli troops are pulled out, it is
felt, the economic and political
pressureS which have been showed
into the background temporarily
will hit Col. Nasser with full
force, making his future shaky.
Col. Nasser could surmount his
economic and political difficulties
then, it is believed, by following
policies Of cooperation with the
West. and making a statesman
like effort to arrange a perma-
nent peace with Israel.
Most authorities, however. are
not optimistic that he will do so
Egypt's economic plight will
be almost certain to become in
creaSingly critical in the forth
coming months because import
ant Suez Canal revenue will be
lacking. Not only will Egypt need
to pay the old Suez company for
Matchmaking its property but
trade can be expected to yield
sharply reduced revenues be-
cause so much of Egypt's cotton,
its main export, has been mort
gagged for about five years to pay
for Communist weapons.
The United States and other
Western countries under such
conditions could be expected to
move very cautiously in provid-
ing any large-scale outside aid
of a kind Egypt must have in
order to better the living stand
ards of its people.
| AS these cruel economic pres
sures mount many of the Arabs
. who hail Col. Nasser now as de-
fender Of their country will, it is
reasoned. gradually realize that
food and work is more i'm
portant.