The Soviet intervention in the Suez Canal dispute at the U.N. Security Council yesterday continued today to be the subject of lively speculation in United Nations circles. The Soviet representatives had taken no part in the discussions on the Israeli complaint against the Egyptian blockade during all the weeks this issue has been before the Council, until Semyon Tsarapkin, the Soviet delegate, yesterday forced a 48-hour delay and indicated that he would come forward with new “proposals.”
What these proposals might be, continued to remain a mystery. The general belief was that the Soviets had no concrete proposals for settlement of the dispute and expressed doubts that Mr. Tsarapkin, before Saturday, when the Council resumes discussion of the three power resolution calling on Egypt to raise its blockade of Israeli-bound shipping, would be able to persuade Egypt to take this action voluntarily. They described the Russian eleventh-hour intervention as a Soviet propaganda move. It was pointed out here that the Council powers had explored all possible solutions of the Canal dispute ever since complaints of the blockade were first made in August, 1949, and had found none.
Israel Ambassador Abba S. Eban was to meet with Mr. Tsarapkin prior to Saturday’s meeting in an effort to seek clarification on the Soviet position. The Egyptian delegation said today it had no information on the Soviet proposals but that Mahmoud Fawzi Bey, delegation head, would probably meet the Russians before Saturday.
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