Eden Says Russia Violating “spirit of Geneva” by Arming Arabs

British Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden made it clear last night that the British Government considers that the Soviet Union is creating a situation in the Middle East which “could be dangerous” by permitting Communist countries to supply arms to Egypt.

Sir Anthony, who spoke at a mass meeting of the Conservative Party Bournemouth, charged Moscow with violating the “spirit of Geneva” by increasing the arms race between the Arab countries and Israel, instead of helping to restrain any such possible race. “There are grave risks in this, “the Prime Minister pointed out, “not only because we are faced with the crudest form of arms race, but because there is always the danger that the one which believes that it is today the stronger may be tempted to strike first. That is how wars have often begun in the past.”

At the same time, the British Government charged Egyptian Premier Nasser with “grossly exaggerating” figures in his recent speech about alleged sales of arms by Britain to Israel. A statement issued by the Foreign Office here last night said that nearly all the figures quoted by Col. Nasser are “inaccurate,” and most are “grossly exaggerated.” The statement emphasized that no Mustang aircraft and no Churchill tanks have been supplied by Britain to Israel.

The Foreign Office statement ridiculed Col. Nasser’s announcement that he secured a French intelligence report from which he quoted his figures on arms shipments by Britain and France to Israel” It has now been established that these quotations are identical with a passage in an unofficial newsletter on Middle East affairs published in Paris by a small group of journalists” the Foreign Office declared.