The Lebanese Government today, without explanation, withdrew the visa offered yesterday to Gerold Frank, J.T.A. correspondent, to anable him to attend the Beirut sessions of the United Nations Palestine Commission.
When Frank called at the Lebanese Consulate here this morning to pick up the visa, the consul was obviously glad that the embarrassing episode in which the Lebanese Government was taking an attitude in opposition to the United Nations, was at last being smoothed over. He asked him to wait a few moments while he urgently telephoned Beirut for the authorization number to be stamped on the visa since it was especially authorized by the Foreign Office and the same number had been furnished to the Lebanese border authorities. He returned from the telephone ten minutes later and announced most apologetically that the Foreign Office in Beirut now stated that the visa had been withdrawn.
Frank asked William Porter, American Consul in Jerusalem, to telephone Lowell Pinkerton, American Minister in Beirut, to ascertain why the Lebanese had reversed their decision, and to ask its re-issuance on the principle that freedom of the press (##)ad to be established beyond any doubt. Mr. Pinkerton, only yesterday, had telephoned Jerusalem to inform the Consulate that his visa had been granted.
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