Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-04
COAST GUARD PAYS OFF

y N1cIk JOIlIl .. OOSIellO is
in conference, the nations most |
directly involved with a view to
seeing whether agreement could
be reached on an adequate and
dependable international admin
istration of the canal on terms
which would generously respect
all the legitimate rights of
Egypt.
Today the British government
is calling a conference of "a
nations. to be held on August Is.
These "a nations consist of three
groups of eight each. There are.
first of all, the eight nations
which are parties to the 1888
treaty. This includes the Soviet
Union and Egypt.
Then. in the second group, are
the eight countries, not included
in the foregoing category, whose
citizens own the greatest volume
of shipping that passes through
the canal.
Then, as the third group. there
are the eight countries not in
cluded in the foregoing categor-
les whose pattern of interna-
tional trade shows a special de-
pendence upon the canal.
The nations thus invited are
truly representative and have a
broad geographical and cultural
Investigation.
Expresses Confidence
We believe that out of such a
conference will come a plan for
international operation of the
canal which will give assurance
that the detectives of the 1888
treaty will, in fact. be realized
and the canal operated by those
who feel that their duty is to-
serve the international commun-
ity and not serve the special in
terests of any one nation. This
plan should both give security
to the nations principally con-
cerned with the canal. and also
fully protect the legitimate in
terestS of Egypt. Egypt should,
we believe. be not only ade-
quately represented in the OPP
Grating authority, but assured of
a fair and reasonable income
from the use of the canal be-
cause the canal. though inter-
nationalized, is on Egyptian ter
ritory.
There is every desire that
Egypt should be treated with the
utmost fairness. Also the own
ers and employees of the now dis
possessed canal company should
be fairly treated.
If these principals are ac-
cepted by the conference. then
we believe that they will also
be accepted by Egypt.
1t is one thing to defy one or
two nations. 1t is another thing
to defy the considered and sober
Judgment Of many nations which
have treaty rights in the canal
and which, in large part, depend
for their economic livelihood
upon the operation Of the canal
in accordance with the 1888
treaty.
Declaration Cited
1t may be asked what will
happen if the conference fails
My answer to that is that we do
not assume that the conference
will fail. Certainly we have given
no commitments of any kind as
to what the United States will
do in that unhappy contingency.
l repeat, we assume that the
conference will not fail. but will
succeed. ] believe that by the
conference method we shall in
woke moral forces which are
bound to prevail.
/ never forget our Declaration
Of Independence, where our
founders pledged themselves to
a decent respect for the opin-
ions OF mankind.
I believe that most people have
decent respect for the opinions
OF mankind. and that out Of the
conference which has been called
will come a judgment Of such
moral force that we can be con-
fident that the Suez Canal will
continue in peace to serve the
interests Of all mankind.
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