The U.N. Security Council today voted to postpone for 24 hours consideration of a British-Chinese resolution endorsing the acting mediator’s request for the withdrawal of Egyptian and Israeli troops in the Negev to positions held before the recent battles there and for the appointment of a special subcommittee of the Council to report on measures to be taken if either party refuses to head the mediator’s orders. The Council will meet again tomorrow morning.
(Congressman Emanuel Celler today demanded the immediate recall of Warren R. Austin, chief U.S. delegate at the U.N. and this month’s Security Council president, whom he charged with joining the British in “an attempt to railroad through the Council a resolution providing for sanctions against Israel for refusing to give up its Negev gains.”)
The Anglo-Chinose resolution calls for the appointment of a sub-committee consisting of the Big Five plus Belgium and Colombia to examine and report on measures which would be appropriate under Article 41 of the U.N. Charter for refusal to comply with Dr. Ralph Bunche’s orders within the time limits he may set.
(Article 41 of the Charter provides that: “The Security Council may decide what measures not involving the use of armed force are to be employed to give effect to its decisions and it may call upon members of the United Nations to apply such measures. They may include complete or partial interruption of economic relations and of rail, sea, air, postal, telegraphic, radio and other means of communication and the severance of diplomatic relations.”)
One of the highlights of today’s session was a speech by Israeli representative Aubrey Eban who stressed that the Council resolution of Oct. 19 definitely called for negotiation on all points except the cause-fire, and did not prejudice other issues. He said the root of the trouble was that Egypt had violated the truce for 16 weeks. Questioning Egypt’s right to restoration to the positions she originally held, he charged that the whole situation was an “international anomaly.”
“Egypt invaded another sovereign country, bombarded civilians and committed definite aggression of a most evil and international character,” he declared. Although beaten, Egyptian troops are still on Israeli soil, he said. He asserted that the only mitigating circumstance that Egypt could claim was a “conspicuous lack of success and that her capacity for further action had been completely broken.” In conclusion, he asked the Council whether it was becoming an “international sponsor of unsuccessful invasions.”
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