Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-02

of French nationals and their in
tereSts in the Eastern Mediter-
ranean."
There was apparently no enthusi-
asm in Washington for the British
French move, which diplomatic
officials declared was made without
informing the United States in adj
vance. Concern was expressed that
the action might seriously prejudice
the talks this week with Col. Mas
ser. and possibly cause them to be
Cancelled.
The Troops Move
In Britain, both Labor and Lib
eral party circles attacked the Eden
government on the French troop
deployment to Cyprus. The cabi-
nets permission for the move was
protested as certain to put the
Cairo talks under dureSs.
But whatever the effect, stable
elements of two French divisions.
one reported to be paratrooper
division, were on Cyprus by yester-
day. Others were zen route or ready
to embark. The two divisions were
ordered to Cyprus from embattled
Algeria, where an army of 100000
French troops has been trying for
months to put down a Nationalist
rebellion. Paris has charged that
much of the inspiration for the
Algerian uprising has been coming
from Cairo.
The British themselves were
steadily reinforcing their Mediter-
ranean garrisons last week. Addi-
tional troops, tanks, motorized
equipment and supplies were leav-
ing England almost daily, and the
Gibraltar garrison was alerted for
a move to an undiscloSed base.
AS might be expected, the deter
mined military buildup IN the Medi-
terranean has evoked strong dis
approval from spokesman for the
"neutralist" nations. Led by Indian
and Indonesian diplomats. these
nations have taken position
strongly supporting the Nasser
stand, but equally strongly favoring
a reasonable" solution. They fear
that the military moves of Britain
and France will make their job in
Cairo more difficult.
The Soviet Union, following the
line voiced at the London talks by
Foreign Minister Shepilov, contin-
ued last week to call the Vests
tactics in the Suez crisis "a new
colonialism." Mr.. Dulles, at his
press conference Tuesday, declared
the Russians have been promoting
extreme propaganda" through
Arabic broadcasts beamed to Egypt.
The Red aim. Mr.. Dulles said, was
to make it extremely difficult for
Col. Nasser Ito accept even fair
solution" to the problem.
In Paris, French diplomatic Of
ficials and most of the press viewed
the Cairo talks pessimistically.
There appeared to be no expecta-
tons that Col. Nasser would be
amenable to any arrangement salts
factory to France and Britain.
HopefuIness PreyoiIs
But certain air Of hopefulness
continued to persist in Cairo on the
eve of the meetings. Newsmen ar
irving in the Egyptian capital for
the momentous parley found Egypt's
officialdom harassed but friendly.
And perhaps significantly. Cairo
authorities seemed to be deliber-
ately minimizing the latest Israel
border clashes. Raiders killed 10
Egyptian soldiers along the GAIA
Strip, Egypt claimed Friday in a
formal complaint to the United
Nations. But news of the attacks
was late. brief and singularly re-
strained in the Egyptian press and
radio. Observers saw in this a de-
sire on Col. NaSser's part TO avoid
any increase in tension during the
Cairo sessions.