Free Passage of Israeli Ships Envisaged Under Eden’s Plan

The possibility that Israeli ships would receive undisturbed passage through the Suez Canal if the Big Three plan for the formation of a “users association” to direct the affairs of the Canal materializes, was held out in United Nations circles today following receipt by UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold of the text of the speech made in the House of Commons this afternoon by Britain’s Prime Minister, Sir Anthony Eden, who outlined the plan.

It was noted here that the projected “users association” would employ the canal pilots who would quit the jobs they now hold under Egypt’s nationalized company. The “users association” would then be in a position to order these pilots to take through the canal all ships “without distinction of flag”–including ships bound to or from Israel, even if these vessels were under the Israel flag.

The Suez situation came forcefully under the aegis of the United Nations this morning, when Britain and France filed a letter with this month’s president of the Security Council, Dr. Emilio Nunez-Portuondo of Cuba. While the letter did not demand a Council meeting, it informed the Council that Britain and France consider Egypts refusal to deal on establishment of an international control body over the canal “an aggravation of the situation which, if allowed to continue, would constitute a manifest danger to peace and security.”

It was seen as significant that the Franco-British letter referred specifically to the need for “open passage of shipping through the canal without distinction of flag.” A series of conferences followed the submission of the letter to Dr. Portuondo. First, he was visited by Britain’s Sir Pierson Dixon and Egypt’s Dr. Omar Loutfi. Later, Dr. Loutfi, Dr. Portuondo and Sir Pierson, in that order, held separate conferences with Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold.