The State Department today made a bold but unsuccessful attempt to prevent Senate action against the Arab boycott by blocking hearings on the Williams-Javits Bill.
The anti-boycott bill’s sponsors, Sen. Harrison Williams, New Jersey Democrat, and Sen. Jacob K. Javits, New York Republican, were asked by high State Department officials to abandon plans for hearings because President Nasser of Egypt might take offense at testimony on Arab boycott tactics.
The officials were Douglas MacArthur 2nd, Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional relations, and Phillips Talbot, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. They called in person on the two Senators with an urgent appeal that Egypt be spared criticism by the Senate because the American position in Cairo might be weakened.
The Williams-Javits measure would protect American commerce from the Arab boycott practices. It has gained the support of 31 Senators and hearings are expected to be held this spring by the Senate Committee on Banking and Currency.
Both senators rejected the State Department appeal. MacArthur and Talbot warned the Senators that the bill might infuriate Nasser and cause a worsening of the boycott situation. They pointed out that American diplomacy now seeks to improve relations with Cairo–an objective they said would be undermined by the bill.
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