Eisenhower’s Stand on Syria Greeted; Failure to Arm Israel Noted

President Eisenhower’s pledge yesterday to use whatever powers might be necessary to protect the countries neighboring on Syria from “acts of aggression” with Soviet weapons was received with satisfaction by American Jews interested in the fate of Israel, one of Syria’s neighbors and the one with whom Syria is still in a state of war.

However, it was noted that while expediting military aid to Syria’s Arab neighbors, the President failed to send such aid to Israel. The President’s determination to check possible Syrian aggression was emphasized in a statement released by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles following a White House conference on the Syrian situation. The Secretary announced U.S. economic aid and munitions shipments are being expedited to the Arab nations bordering Syria.

(In Jerusalem, replying to a question on Israel’s attitude toward the airlifting of American military supplies to Jordan, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said that while the tanks which Jordan will receive will not enhance its abilities to destroy Israel, the Jewish State must continue to look with concern upon the shipment of arms to any Arab country which continues a policy of aggression against it.)

Declaring that President Eisenhower appraised the Syrian situation in the light of the United Nations Charter “which denies Syria the right to use force except in self-defense,” Secretary Dulles told reporters: “The President affirmed his intention to carry out the national policy, expressed in the Congressional Middle East resolution which had been adopted, and exercise as needed the authority thereby conferred on the President. In this connection, the President authorized the accelerated delivery to the countries of the area of economic and other defensive items which have been programmed for their use. The President expressed the hope that the international Communists would not push Syria into any acts of aggression against her neighbors and that the people of Syria would act to allay the anxiety caused by recent events.”

(In Washington, the appointment of John O. Bell as regional director of the International Cooperation Administration for the Near East region including Israel was announced this week-end. Mr. Bell served as director of the U.S. Mutual Security program in Pakistan since June, 1955. His new title is “Regional Director for the Near East and South Asia.”)