Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-04
Speed on Canal
Clearing Work
Asked byU. 5.
By EARL H. Yoss

the United Nations and Egypt
today for swift action in clear
ing the Suez Canal. blocked by
sunken ships and fallen bridges
during the British French in
vasion of Egypt last month.
Six hours after the British
and French Foreign Ministers
promised yesterday that their
troops would be withdrawn from
the Suez area without delay,
the State Department announced
that clearance Of the waterway
had become imperative"
In a statement approved by
President Eisenhower and Sec
Rotary of State Dulles. the United
States warned that EVERY day
of delay in restoring the canal
to normal use is a breach of the
1888 treaty and a wrong to the
large number of nations through
out the world whose economies
depend so heavily on its reliable
operation"
Demands Troop Exodus
Egypt has agreed in principle
that the United Nations should
supervise the task of clearing the
waterway. But so far President
Canal Abdel Nasser is under
stood to have insisted that all
British and French troops must
leave first.
There is some confusion about
Col. NasSer's attitude toward the
use Of British and French equip
ment in the canal. French
sources here believe U. N. Sec
Rotary General Hammarskiold
has received written assurances
that the equipment may be used
Whether British and French
personnel will be allowed to
operate the equipment is not
known.
Other diplomatic sources in
Washington are less certain tina,
British French equipment will be
allowed in the Egyptian-con-
trolled southern end of the canal
Gen. Wheeler Appointed
Mr.. Hammarskjold already has
contracted for Dutch and Danish
salvage firms to take part in the
clearance project. He has ap-
pointed American 1t. Gen. Ray
mond A. Wheeler to supervise
the project. Gen. Wheeler re.
portedly left for Amsterdam yes
terday to talk with the salvage
firms.
The British Admiralty report
ed yesterday that some 81 OBJ
structions now block the canal
and mines have been laid at the
southern end Of the 103-mile
waterway.
Uphold u. N. Action
The State Departments an
nouncement yesterday contained
other passages which should
please their principal European
allies. The United States was
placed squarely behind swift &C.
ton BY the U. N. to find salts
factory formulas for free pas
sage through the Suez waterway
and for a permanent solution of
Arab-Israel difficulties. The
State Department release said:
"The British and French gov
ernments have now declared
their purpose to comply with the
" N. resolution regarding with
drawal of their forces from
Egypt. They have stated that
they will work out with Gen.
Burns. commander of the United
Nations forces, a definite and
early schedule for complete
withdrawal.
THE United States welcomes
this decision. It's implementa-
ton will strengthen the capacity
of the United Nations to deal
with the other aspects of the
Middle Eastern problems which
are still unfinished business.
ut will now. more than ever,
become incumbent upon all
members of the United Nations
to insure that the remaining
issues are dealt with justly and
promptly. The United States
has repeatedly said during this
crisis in the Middle East that
the United Nations cannot right
fully or prudently stop merely
with maintaining peace.
Under its Charter it is obli-
gated to deal with the basic
sources Of international friction
and conflicts of interest. Only
in this way can it attain the
Charter goal of peace with JUS
tice.
In keeping with this obliga-
ton the United States will con-
tinue fully to support the meas
ureS required to make the United