Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-11-06

Moscow. The Kremlin. 5th No
vember, 1856.
Esteemed Mr.. Prime Minister: |
The Soviet government deems
it necessary to call your atten-
ton to the fact that the agrees
sive war against the Egyptian
state engineered by the United
Kingdom and France but started
off by Israel is fraught with very
dangerous consequences for uni
versal peace.
The emergency session of the
General Assembly adopted a de-
cision on the immediate discon-
tinuation of the military opera
tons and the withdrawal Of for
eign troops from Egyptian terri
tory. Disregarding this. the
United Kingdom. France and
Israel are intensifying military
Operations and continuing the
savage bombings of Egyptian
towns and villages. have landed
troops on Egyptian territory, re-
ducing her inhabited localities to
ruins and killing civilians.
Thus, the government of the
~ K. has embarked, together
with the governments of France
and Israel, upon unprovoked ag-
preston against Egypt.
Motives "FallaciOus."
The motives given by the gov
eminent of the U. K. in justifi-
cation of the attack on Egypt are
absolutely fallacious. At first the
British government stated that
it interferred in the conflict be-
tween Israel and Egypt in order
to prevent the Suez Canal from
becoming a zone of military OPP
erationS. After the Anglo
French intervention on the Suez
Canal area did become zone of
military operations and naviga-
ton through the canal has been
blocked, which impairs the in
tereSts of the canal user nations.
Attempts to justify the agrees
sion by reference to the interest
of the U. K. and France in the
freedom of navigation through
the Suez Canal are also falla-
Icious. We understand your spe-
cial interest in the canal. This.
however, does not entitle you to
conduct military operations
against the Egyptian people.
At the same time the gov
ernments of the U. K. and
France cannot assume the role
of judges in the question of
the means Of securing freedom
of navigation through the Suez
Canal inasmuch as many other
states are no less interested in
this who denounce the agrees
sive actions Of the U. K. and
France and demand the main
tenance of peace of tranquility
lin the Near and Middle East.
Called = Pretext
Besides. it is well known that
shipping through the Suez
Canal was fully ensured by
Egypt. The question of the
Suez Canal was merely a pre-
text for Anglo-French agrees
sion which has different and
far-reaching aims. It is Inn
possible to conceal that IN actual
fact aggressive brigand war is
at present being launched
against the Arab peoples. aiming
at the liquidation Of national
independence Of the states Of
the Near and Middle East and
the restoration Of the regime of
colonial slavery which has been
rejected by the people.
1 There is nothing that can
! justify the fact that the armed
forces of Britain and France
two great powers and permanent
members Of the U. NJ have
attacked the country which has
only recently attained her ma
tional independence and which
has not got sufficient means for
her defense
1 In what position would Britain
have found herself had she been
attacked by more powerful states
possessing all types of modern
weapons Of destruction? Indeed
such countries, instead of sending
to the shores of Britain their
naval or air forces would now
have used other means, as foI
instance rocket equipment. II
rocket weapons had been used
against Britain and France you
4 would have certainly called 1t q
barbarian action. Yet, what is
the difference between the inhu-
man attack perpetrated by the
armed forces Of Britain and
France against almost unarmed
Egypt?
World War Threat
i Deeply perturbed by the de-
velopment of events in the Near
and Middle East and guided by
thte interest Of preserving uni
: versal peace, we hold that the
British government must heed
the voice Of common sense and
stop the war in Egypt. We call
upon you, Parliament, the Labor
TEXT OF MIDEAST P
/ Stevenson