Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-11-18

The blue-and-white banner of
the United Nations held the atten-
ton Of a tense and worried world
again last week. Hard on the heels
of the announcement by President
Eisenhower on Wednesday that the
United States would support the
U. N. to the utmost in its efforts
to bring peace to the embattled
Suez Canal area, big Swiss airliners
loaded with the first contingent Of
U. N. police units began swooping
to landings on Egypt's battered Abu
Suweir Airfleld. near Ismalia about
halfway along the length of the
blocked waterway.
The President, at his first news
conference since October IL,
stressed his faith in the U. N. abil-
ity to enforce Just and peaceful
settlement in Egypt. Pointing out
that the current crisis represented
the first time that the interna-
tional agency had received a thor
ough test in a major challenge, Mr..
Eisenhower put all the eggs Of the
United States, for the time being
at least. in the basket Of the U. N.
Even in the matter of counter
measures to the threatened use of
Communist volunteers in Egypt,
the President indicated plainly that
the United States would oppose the
Soviet-sponsored plan through the
United Nations"
While Mr.. EisenhoWer'S remarks
appeared to imply that the United
States would support U. N. action
as opposed to unilateral action, he
gave no sign that this Nation
planned to offer any concrete pro-
posals to the international body In
the current crises.
Friday night, Acting Secretary of
State Herbert Hoover, jr., in an adj
dress to the U. N. General Assembly,
also seemed to indicate an inten-
ton to let the U. N. carry the ball
without American quarterbacking,
In declaring that the use of Soviet
volunteers in the Middle East would
oblige the U. N. to take action and
that 1.-THE United States would fully
support such action" Mr.. Hoover
appeared to specifically diSavow any
American initiative in the matter.
New Soviet Arms Plan
The Soviet Union, continuing to
keep the welkin ringing, loosed a
new and reSounding barrage yester-
day. In new messages to President
Eisenhower, and the Prime Minis
tiers of Britain, France, Red China
and India, Premier Nikolai Bull
ganin offered a sweeping plan for
world disarmament.
The Soviet leaders message was
blunt. He warned that the world
balance of power had so shifted
that to-day the Soviet forces could
take over the whole Of Western
Europe without the use of rocket
or nuclear weapons" And he add
ed tersely that the choice now fac
ing the world was between the new
Soviet disarmament plan land a
new world war more terrible than
any we have ever known
The Russian disarmament pro-
poSal appeared to accept the prin-
ciple of international inspection and
control, chief stumbling block to
previous efforts toward q practical
BILE arms reduction plan. The state
ment included agreement to "eStab-
lish strict international control to
insure that these disarmament
proposals are carried out" AS if to
add dramatic impact. the Soviets
offered to destroy their A-bomb
and H-bomb stockpiles if the West
ern powers would do the same.
Perhaps as a not-so-subtle spur
to the West, the Soviet Union an
nounced yesterday the successful
test explosion Of ''nuclear
weapon"
AS Of late yesterday there had
been no oficial White House reac-
ton to the Russian message. But
initial private reaction in admins
tration circles was one of skepti-
cism and doubt. ff-the-record
comment included the observation
that the plan offered by Moscow
included several conditions previ-
ously rejected by the United States,
including "the liquidation Of mill
tary bases in all foreign countries"
within two years. In the past, Amer
lean policy-makers have refused to
discuss the abandonment of air
bases abroad, viewing their con-
tinued existence as vital to mini
mum defense needs.
Besides the crucial challenge Of
the Middle East crisis. the U. N.
had also to deal with in its busy
week: