The Arab states will never accept the American plan for developing the water resources of the Jordan River valley which Eric Johnston, President Eisenhower’s special envoy, has urged upon them, the Egyptian Government said today in a Cairo broadcast.
The broadcast noted reports that Mr. Johnston is to leave the United States this month for a second Middle East tour to discuss this plan, drawn up by TVA experts, and secure Arab acceptance. It declared that “the American Government may believe that the Arabs will abandon their stand toward this project or this project or that their drafting of another project means that they are prepared to bargain. The United States may also believe that the obstacles which Syria’s complaint against Israel is meeting with before the Security Council may force the Arabs to agree to this American project. The Arabs, however, have clearly announced that they will not accept this project, which only serves Israel’s interest at their expense.”
“Johnston should remain in his country,” the broadcast said, “and spare himself the trouble of the trip. His work as president of the Motion Picture Association is more beneficial to him and his country than his mission as an official envoy of the American Jordan Valley project.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.