Golda Meir Denies Hammarskjold Negotiated Cairo Compromise on Suez

Foreign Minister Golda Meir of Israel said here today that, according to United Nations sources, Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold had made no compromise suggestions regarding freedom of passage of the Suez Canal during his recent visit to Cairo, nor had he negotiated on any compromise proposals.

Mrs. Meir, who stopped off in Paris on her way back to Jerusalem from her Latin American tour, told a press conference that “as Secretary General, he (Mr. Hammarskjold) must defend the principles of the United Nations.” She added that “of course, this does not mean that he did not listen to what the other side had to say.”

The Israeli Foreign Minister would make no personal comment on the case of the Inge Toft, the Danish freighter held by the United Arab Republic at Port Said since May 21 because it carried cargo from Israel, but reaffirmed Israel’s position con the right of free passage.

The Israeli diplomat noted with satisfaction that Mexico and Brazil had signed cultural accords with Israel and that Uruguay and San Salvador had signed commercial agreements. She voiced the opinion that, in the future, a number of Latin American countries would send local experts and technicians to Israel to observe Israeli methods and techniques.

Mrs. Meir told correspondents she did not expect that the caretaker status of the Israel Government would affect its efficacy in conducting foreign policy, noting that “we have had experience with caretakers before–and, moreover, everybody knows there is a cut-off date–the elections on November 3–for this caretaker experience.”