U.N. to Authorize Hammarskjold Today to Continue His “peace Mission”

The United Nations Security Council will continue tomorrow its debate on the British resolution requesting UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold to “continue his good offices” with Israel and the neighboring Arab countries with a view to strengthening his recent cease-fire achievements on the Arab-Israel frontiers, in the hope that this will pave the way for further Arab-Israel agreement.

In presenting his resolution to yesterday’s meeting of the Security Council, Sir Pierson Dixon, head of the British delegation, said that the Council must not lose sight of the need for a mutually acceptable settlement of the differences between Israel and its Arab neighbors. “We believe that full compliance with the armistice agreements can be the bridge which may lead to progress on these differences,” he said.

Sir Pierson made it clear that while his resolution does not ask the UN Secretary General to go back to the Middle East immediately, the Council should ask him “to make himself available” and leave it to him to decide exactly what to do. The view of the British Government, he said, was that Security Council action at this stage should be based on three premises.

First, they should take advantage of the successful contacts between the Secretary-General and the parties, in order to consolidate the gains already made and to keep up the momentum toward truly peaceful conditions. Second, the Council “should confine itself to fostering this process and should not force it.” They should recognize the need to build up confidence between the parties. Third they should work at this stage toward putting into effect practical measures already agreed on, and getting still more of such measures agreed on and put into effect. At the same time they should try to achieve full compliance with the armistice agreements.

ARABS OPPOSE BRITISH RESOLUTION, FIND IT “UNACCEPTABLE”

While seven of the eleven members of the Security Council–including the United States and France–supported the British resolution at yesterday’s session, the delegate from Iran said he might submit an amendment to the resolution. The Soviet delegate will make his stand clean tomorrow, and so will the representatives of Israel and the Arab counties who have been invited to the meeting of the Council. None of the latter is a member of the Security Council.

Outright opposition to the British resolution was expressed today by the Syrian delegation at the United Nations. A spokesman for the Syrians said that the resolution was “unacceptable” to the Arabs and that they will fight it “mercilessly.” Syria’s chief objection to the resolution is that under this resolution the UN Secretary General could undertake a second “peace mission” to the Middle East without asking the Security Council.

Despite Arab opposition, it is expected that the resolution will be adopted at tomorrow’s meeting of the Security Council. The Soviet delegation indicated that it may suggest “minor changes” in the text of the British resolution, but adoption of the resolution, perhaps with some revised wording is considered in United Nations circles as certain.