An inquiry into the State Department’s arms policy on Israel and the Arab countries will be started this Friday, or early next week, by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, it was indicated here today by Sen. Walter F. George, chairman of the committee. He said that he intends to summon Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and Under Secretary Herbert Hoover. Jr., to appear before the committee.
Demands for a full scale investigation of the State Department’s Middle East arms policy were voiced today by a number of members of Congress following the embarrassing situation that has been created by the imposition and immediate revocation of a ban on the shipment of 18 American army tanks to Saudi Arabia. The tanks left the port of Brooklyn today for Saudi Arabia on the freighter James Monroe. It was reported that besides its cargo of tanks, the freighter also carried about 20 dismantled jet planes for Saudi Arabia, but these reports could not be confirmed.
State Department circles indicated that no definite plans have been made so far for Secretary Dulles to report to Congress on the Middle East arms policy. Department spokesman Lincoln White declined to reveal the reaction of the State Department to Senator George’s suggestion that the Department publish in detail a list of arms furnished to various Middle East countries in the $16,000,000 sales mentioned in the statement issued by the Department two days ago.
Mr. White indicated that Israel’s $50,000,000 arms request was being handled separately from other Israel requests, but that it was all included in the regional total of $150,000,000 in applications mentioned in that statement. He said that it was still the Department’s policy to avoid an arms race between Israel and the Arab countries.
STATE DEPT. SCORED FOR FAILURE TO CONSULT CONGRESS LEADERS
Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey today accused the State Department of “either designed deception or gross incompetence” in connection with the tanks sent to Saudi Arabia. A the same time, Rep James P. Richards, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, accused the State Department of treating the House like a “weak-minded illegitimate son” on foreign policy matters including the Saudi Arabian tank issue.
(The New York Times today reported from Washington that State Department officials gave consideration yesterday to the early sale to Israel of at least part of the major weapons she asked for three months ago. ” No decision has been reached primarily because of reported differences within the department on the issue. But the possibility of the sale of some arms to Israel is expected to be put before Secretary of the State Dulles this week,” the report said. The Secretary will return Wednesday from a fishing trip off the Bahamas.)
Democratic Presidential aspirant Adlai Stevenson speaking today in Chicago said The situation in the Middle East is very critical and I think this is a good time to keep cool. While I do not know what our government is doing, I assume that it is not unmindful of Israel’s peril and is actively seeking peaceful solutions of the mounting tension.”
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