Administration Urged to Reject Jordan’s Bid for Arms Aid Unless It Breaks with Nasser

The Administration should sever aid to Jordan until King Hussein makes peace with Israel and abrogates his military pact with Egypt, Rep. Edward J. Gurney, Florida Republican, said today in a House speech. Mr. Gurney, who served as a U.S. tank officer in the war against Nazi Germany, said that “Hussein has turned out to be a sort of Moslem Mussolini who is collaborating with Moscow instead of with Hitler, as the Italian dictator did.”

(A Beirut dispatch received in London today by The Telegraph reported that Hussein, who is to visit Washington soon, will ask President Johnson for large-scale military aid for re-equipment of his army. Hussein, the dispatch stated, is expected also to ask for general U.S. aid in the economic field, and to inform the President of Soviet offers for military and economic assistance made to him last week when he visited Moscow. The London newspaper said it believed that Russia had offered to re-equip Jordan’s army completely, freeing it from reliance on American and British weapons.)

Rep. Gurney told the House that he had just asked Secretary of State Dean Rusk to stop all forms of aid to Hussein unless the latter meets preconditions that include avoidance of military supply arrangements with Russia. He said “there is really no difference between aiding Jordan or Egypt. Hussein should sever all military ties with Egypt to qualify for our aid.” He served notice that he would not only fight any additional aid but oppose the Administration for “again subsidizing the Jordanian economy to the tune of at least $1 million every fortnight.” He added that Hussein has received about $6 million to $7 million from America since the June war, and is scheduled to get over $27 million this year.

Rep. Joel T. Broyhill, Virginia Republican, warned an Alexandria, Va., B’nai B’rith Lodge today that the Administration was delaying delivery of Douglas Skyhawk jet bombers purchased by Israel “to obtain bargaining leverage to force Israeli concessions.”

Urging a firm stand against Communist and Arab pressures in the Middle East, Rep. Broyhill termed Israel a “buffer against Communism” and said “her fate is our fate.” He said that “if the Skyhawks are good for freedom in Southeast Asia, they are maybe even more valuable in a closer area, the Middle East.”

The Virginian asserted that with resumption of aid to Jordan, after Hussein’s “jumping like a jackal” into the June war and his recent deals with Moscow, American policy showed aspects of appeasement. He said Washington, by simultaneously “reneging on a contract with Israel (for Skyhawks) is undermining our friends and rewarding our enemies.”