State Department officials revealed today they are giving consideration to a Saudi Arabian request to buy a number of military jet planes and 18 additional tanks from the United States. The new tanks sought are of the Patton type about twice as heavy as the Walker “Bulldog” tanks recently shipped to Saudi Arabia.
The number of jet planes under application was not disclosed. Officials said that $7,000,000 worth of U. S. munitions were authorized for shipment to Saudi Arabia in the last six months. Saudi Arabia received in addition to the Walker “Bulldogs” a number of B-26 bombing planes and other equipment.
At the same time, the State Department caused the postponement yesterday of a meeting of representatives of the Western Powers on the proposed sale of 12 French Mystere jet planes to Israel State Department officials said that Acting Secretary of State Herbert Hoover, Jr. found it inconvenient” to meet yesterday with the French and British Ambassadors on this question. The consultations will probably take place early this week.
In Paris, French Foreign Minister Christian Pineau in response to question on the sale of arms to Israel, said this weekend that France had accepted the contracts to sell Israel 12 “Mystere IV” jet fighter planes and that this contract would be respected. However, before executing that contract the French Government has asked that this be made a tripartite agreement, he said. In case the United States and Britain do not accept jointly to share in the responsibility for sending Israel the jet planes France will take the responsibility alone, he indicated.
State Department press officer Lincoln White stated that the sale of the Mystere jets is “a political decision for the French to make for themselves. “He refused to say whether the U.S. had been consulted by France about the transaction or whether it had approved the deal. He also refused to say whether the U. S. wanted tripartite consultation on the deal.
Prior to his leaving last Friday for the SEATO conference at Karachi; Pakistan, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles summoned Israel Ambassador Abba Eban to the State Department for a 50-minute talk. After the meeting, a State Department spokesman said that no definite answer on Israel’s request for American arms had been given to Mr. Eban. The spokesman indicated that no change has taken place in the State Department’s attitude toward Israel’s arms application. Ambassador Eban said after the meeting that he now has “a very clear and precise knowledge” of Mr Dulles thinking. He declined to indicate what Mr. Dulles had told him.
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