U.N. Arbitration In Canal Disputes

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

U.N. Arbitration In Canal Disputes

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9 p.m.) NEW YORK, April 22. Egypt was expected to announce soon that it would accept United Nations arbitration of Suez Canal disputes, the “New York Times” reported today.

In a dispatch from Cairo, the newspaper reported that Egypt probably would deposit with the United Nations this week a document accepting the arbitration of disputes between the Egyptian Suez Canal Authority and nations that use the canal. The arbitration would be carried out by a United Nations group.

This was as far as President Nasser was willing to go in meeting Western demands for a guarantee that the canal would be insulated from Egyptian national politics, the dispatch said.

It quoted Cairo sources as saying that in the document Egypt also would agree to accept a United Nations Advisory Council of technical experts to advise the canal authority on operational matters. “But on the major issue of toll payments, Egypt has not budged,” the report continued.

“The document, it is reported, will reaffirm Egypt’s insistence that all ships must pay their full dues in Currency acceptable to the Egyptian Canak Authority.” Whether such a unilateral declaration would be regarded by the maritime Powers as sufficiently binding was doubtful. Diplomatic sources said, however, that it probably would have to be accepted. They saw no hope of President Nasser’s agreeing to a negotiated settlement.

The final wording of the document had been the main subject of recent talks between the Egyptian Foreign Minister. Dr. Mahmoud Fawzi, and the United States Ambassador, Mr Raymond Hare.

Rome’s Symbols Back In Their Cages

ROME, April 27. The symbols of Rome, a shewolf and an eagle, returned to the Holy City as the Italian capital celebrated its 2710th birthday. Their predecessors died several years ago.

The City Council decided to replace them in spite of strong protests by animal lovers.

The wolf, a fine specimen about five years old from the wild Abruzzi Mountains, and the eagle, with a wingspan of six and a half feet, were transferred from the Zoological Garden to their new cages in the Rocks of the Hill, the ancient and modern heart of Rome.

Cows as Mine Detectors.— -A Hungarian farmer crossing into Austria with his wife and children drove his cows in front, as mine detectors.—Vienna, April 22.