Secretary of State John Foster Dulles said today he hoped the Anglo-Egyptian negotiations on the Suez Canal will develop so that Egypt will be more disposed than it is now to comply with a 1951 United Nations resolution demanding an end to the anti-Israel blockade.
The Secretary’s view on this matter was elicited at a press conference by a question put to him by the Washington correspondent for JTA. The correspondent pointed out that the United States was a party to the UN resolution, and that Egypt nevertheless has continued to refuse Canal passage to ships of American and other registries which carry cargoes to and from Israel. Mr. Dulles was asked if this problem was considered in connection with the current Suez settlement.
The Secretary replied that arrangements reached between Egypt and the United Kingdom, as he recalled them, provided in general that the parties reaffirm the status of the Canal as an international waterway. He added that he hoped that, as negotiations and discussions developed, the Egyptians would be more disposed than they are now to comply with the UN resolution. The United States, said Mr. Dulles, has from time to time made known its views on this subject,
Jefferson Caffrey, American Ambassador to Egypt, was commended by Mr. Dulles for his role in the Suez negotiations. Mr. Dulles indicated that there is now a possibility that Mr. Caffrey will retire.
Mr. Dulles also referred to Israel today in connection with the Korean armistice. He compared that armistice to the Israel-Arab armistice agreements as one of indefinite duration.
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