Gromyko Reported to Have Come to Cairo in Effort to Prevent New Suez Clash

Speculation on the reasons for Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko’s surprise visit to Cairo, originally scheduled for two days but extended by the Soviet diplomat until tomorrow, narrowed today to indications he might be seeking to stave off another major Egyptian clash along the Suez Canal with Israel.

(The New York Times reported today from Cairo that there had been reports lately of movements of Egyptian military vehicles which could point to another Suez artillery duel. The United Press International reported that Egyptian troops along the Canal had been placed on full alert.) Gromyko, who arrived in Cairo Saturday, met with Foreign Minister Mahmoud Riad Saturday night for more than two hours and conferred for five hours yesterday with President Nasser.

The Daily Telegraph reported from Cairo that the Soviets wanted to reassess the Middle East situation before Richard Nixon assumed the Presidency next month. It cited also a report in Al Ahram, the Cairo daily which is close to President Nasser, to the effect that lack of success of political efforts-a reference to the work of Special United Nations Mideast emissary Gunnar Jarring-was “inevitably accompanied by an escalation of Arab commando activity.”

(Observers in Jerusalem expressed the opinion today that the Soviet delegation, which includes Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Semyonov, might be pressing Egypt to be less intransigent in its attitude toward Dr. Jarring. The totally negative attitude shown by Egypt toward the Jarring mission, as reported to the Cabinet yesterday by Israel Foreign Minister Abba Eban, was reported to be feared by the Soviets as possibly causing an end to the Jarring effort, leaving a political vacuum which none of the powers would want.

(The evening newspaper Yediot Achrono reported today in Jerusalem that Soviet diplomats were awaiting Israel’s reaction to the secret talks three weeks ago in New York between Semyonov and Yosef Tekoah, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN. The newspaper asserted that one of Semyonov’s suggestions was that Israel should indicate willingness to consider opening of the Suez Canal as an issue separate from the general settlement of the Arab-Israel conflict.)