Secretary of State John Foster Dulles today indicated at his press conference that the users association, which the Western powers plan to establish to guarantee the right of transit through the Suez Canal to ships of all nations, would not be “oblivious” to the right of Israeli ships to pass the canal. However, he added that the users association is in no position to guarantee anything at this time.
Mr. Dulles revealed that the users association envisions a test case of sending a ship through the canal manned by a pilot to be hired by the new association. If Egypt refuses passage to the ship, it would be in violation of the 1888 convention. The member states which signed the 1888 convention could then take the case to the United Nations or undertake what he called some other appropriate action. (In Paris, Premier Guy Mollet declared that the new Suez Canal users association will assure Israeli ships right of passage through the waterway.)
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