Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-01


decisions were postponed until the
President could recover.
True. parade of cabinet officers
went to the Denver hospital to
spend a few minutes with the
President and then tell newsmen
about all sorts of policy decisions.
But it was mostly talk. The cab
met didn't burden the ailing Presi-
dent with any tough decisions.
Mr.. Eisenhower's only duty was
to rest, and he followed the doc
tors orders. Each medical bulletin
reported that his progress toward
recovery was normal and the out
look good.
The Nation studied every word of
the daily bulletins from Denver and
thereby sighted a good deal OF
significant news from abroad.
Egypt's Arms Deal
Premier Canal Abdel Nasser be-
came n-of-the-month by COM
plotting deal with Czechoslovakia
to exchange cotton and rice for
jet planes, tanks, artillery, naval
vessels and submarines. The deal
had been cooking for several
months, and United States officials
knew about it. Still. it was shock
when the exchange was made
public.
The significance was this: The
arms altered the balance of power
in the Near East in the Arab
worlds favor. Another Arab Israel
war became a real possibility. And
the deal apparently was a spectacu-
lar kickoff of a new Communist
economic offensive in Africa and
Asia.
The immediate result of the deal
was to increase the number Of
border incidents around Israel.
Both sides talked under their
breaths about war. And the
United States entered the COM
petition for Egyptian favor by
offering to help build the Aswan
dam, which the Egyptians hope will
transform their nation economic
ally.
The Near East crisis was not the
only news which emphasized that
Russia was not ready to end world
tensions. Disarmament talks at
the United Nations degenerated
into substantially nothing. Russia
insisted debate be thrown open to
all so u. N. members. insuring that
fruitless talk would go on for some
time.
Mid-Eost Pact
Iran announced 1t would Join
with Turkey, IraQ and Pakistan in
q Middle East alliance and the
Soviet Union reacted with a sharp,
critical note.
Russia made it clear that any
Near or Mid-East nation that
needed arms could get them from
the Communist world-without
strings of Western imperialism and
without. Of course, mourning the
enmity Of Russia.
The foreign ministers Of the Big
-Four met in Geneva toward the
end of the month without real hope
of accomplishing anything. And
nothing was accomplished in the
opening sessions.
France, meanwhile, walked out
OF the United Nations after the
organization had voted (by a one
vote margin) to debate Frances
relations with Algeria. France said
Algeria was strictly an internal
French problem. Rioting broke out
repeatedly there and in Morocco
during the month.
The Morocco crisis was eased
somewhat when France reversed it.
self and fired its own puppet sultan.
The former. nationalist-in
sultan was restored. The maneu-
vering weakened the French
government, however. and only the
impending Big Four conference
kept Premier Edgar Faure from
losing votes of confidence.
A vote in the Saar solidly against
Decentralization and against
French ties was also a blow to
France.
And a personal tragedy caught
the headlines in October. Princess
Margaret Of Great Britain gave up
the man she loved, Group Capt.
Peter Townsend. for her royal
duties.