Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd refused in Parliament today to make any representations to the United States against its supplying Saudi Arabia with arms and naval units.
In the face of some sharp questions from Laborites, Mr. Lloyd insisted that United States arms to Saudi Arabia were being supplied within the self-defense principles of the United Nations Charter and not meant to be used against Israel. Despite laughter and hostile challenges from the Laborites, Mr. Lloyd continued to insist that the supplies of American arms to Saudi Arabia did not disturb the balance of arms in the Middle East, a principle which Britain is committed to uphold under the terms of the Tripartite Declaration of 1950.
In the course of the question period, the Foreign Secretary again stressed Britain’s view that the Constantinople Convention guaranteed Israel’s right to use the Suez Canal.
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