DISBANDING OF REGIMENTS

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28259, 23 April 1957, Page 11

DISBANDING OF REGIMENTS

Colonels Appeal To Queen

(Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, April 22. The colonels of several famous Army regiments would write to the Queen to ask her to prevent their units from being disbanded in Britain’s defence cut-back, the “Daily Express” reported. Colonels of regiments have the right of direct approach to the Queen under such circumstances, the War Office said. The colonels held that the glamour associated with regiments and with great military traditions would be vital in) the Government’s recruiting campaign to raise an all-regular army of 165,000 men, according to the “Daily Express.” It was unlikely that any of the Guards regiments would be abolished, though some might have the number of their battalions reduced, the “Daily Express” said. Other famous regiments might be merged, but keep their names in joint titles.

Iraq strongly backed King Hussein, while Syrian sympathies lay with the former chief of staff, Major-General Abu Nuwar, who fled to Damascus when the King acted to put down an attempted coup a week ago. The British United Press said that if the Middle East News Agency report were true (it has not yet been confirmed), then besides a possible Syrian-Iraq clash, an even more dangerous situation might develop. Last week the Israeli Foreign Minister, Mrs Golda Meir, warned that Israel would not lock on indifferently if foreign elements interfered in Jordan. Reuter reported from Amman that the Government had reimposed censorship on press cables abroad. But ' well-informed sources said that 22 Jordan Army officers had been arrested after investigations into incidents at Zirqa, 17 miles north of Amjnan, a week ago. The Foreign Minister and former Prime Minister of Jordan, Mr Nabulsi, said last night that Jordan was not anti-British, and would welcome a visit from the tourins Eisenhower aid mission.

Mr Nabulsi, whose dismissal by King Hussein 12 days ago began the national crisis, said: “We are against communism because communism is against Arab nationalism.” Jordan’s foreign policy remained unchanged, in spite of the change of government, he said.