Eisenhower Urges Support of Western Plan for Control of Suez Canal

President Eisenhower appealed today to all nations to support the Western plan for settlement of the Suez Canal crisis.

The President met for two hours with Secretary of State Dulles to review developments concerning the Suez Canal crisis and other problems. Adm. Arthur W. Radford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sat in for the last part of the conference.

The President said, in a statement read by Mr. Dulles following the meeting, that he was glad President Nasser had accepted the invitation to discuss the 18-nation proposals for the future operation of the canal.

Mr. Eisenhower expressed hope that the crisis could be solved peacefully. He said that the conditions contained in the Western proposals are “indispensable to give confidence that this waterway, internationalized by the treaty of 1888, will be operated so as dependably to serve its appointed purpose.”

The five-nation commission delegated by the London conference to treat with Egypt on the canal question, will meet President Nasser in Cairo next Monday, it was announced today.

London sources were not overly optimistic that any satisfactory solution would emerge from the meeting. The Manchester Guardian commented editorially that President Nasser would doubtlessly meet the five-power committeemen in a friendly manner “but at the end he will say that it infringes.” Egyptian sovereignty. He will probably repeat his promises to keep the canal open and to refrain from discrimination against any but Israel traffic and to respect the 1888 Convention.”

The Times of London commented that while there may be differences about the importance of saving face for President Nasser, “there are none about the necessity for ensuring that the canal will be kept efficient and open to all users on reasonable terms.

ISRAELIS PLEASED BY DULLES’ CRITICISM OF BLOCKADE

Remarks by Secretary of State Dulles yesterday in his press conference relative to discussion in the London conference of Egypt’s blockade of Israel shipping were noted with satisfaction by Israel sources today.

Mr. Dulles had referred to the “defiance” by Egypt of the Security Council resolutions of 1951 and to Israelis right under the 1888 Convention to exercise free passage in the canal. While this was his first specific reference to the Israel aspect of the current Suez crisis, the formulation which he used yesterday was described as consistent with the established United States position as explained to Israel representatives since 1951 up to the present.

Israel circles also took note of the fact that in his London speeches, Mr. Dulles repeatedly emphasized Article I of the 1888 Convention which requires that the Suez Canal be open to all ships “without distinction of flag.”