SECRET LETTERS PUBLISHED

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28260, 24 April 1957, Page 13

SECRET LETTERS PUBLISHED

Correspondence Between Bulganin And Eden

(NX. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, April 23. In an action almost unprecedented in diplomatic history, Britain last night revealed the secret exchanges between Sir Anthony Eden and Marshal Bulganin made a few weeks before the British and French forces landed in the Suez Canal area last autumn. Marshal Bulganin, in his first letter to Sir Anthony Eden, on September 11, referring to the British and French military movements in the Mediterranean, warned Britain of the dangers which might follow if necessary prudence was not shown.

Sir Anthony Eden, in reply five days later, said Marshal Bulganin’s letter seemed to be based on a complete misconception of the position of the British Government.

Sir Anthony Eden claimed the precautionary military measures were fully justified and described President Nasser as a militarist and quoted extracts from the Egyptian leader’s book “Philosophy of the Revolution.”

The British Government’s surprise action in releasing the letters came a few hours after West-* ern correspondents were summoned to the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Moscow and told that the exchanges between Marshal Bulganin and Sir Anthony Eden, and also letters between Marshal Bulganin and the French Prime Minister, Mr Guy Mollet, ‘would be published in tomorrow’s issue of “Izvestia,” the Russian Government- newspaper.

In another letter —extracts from five letters in all, three from Marshal Bulganin and two from Sir Anthony Eden, were issued— Marshal Bulganin said that the effects of the policy of military threats and attempts to interfere in Egypt’s internal affairs was a threat to peace in .the Near and Middle East and was fraught with dangerous consequences. Sir Anthony Eden replied saying that British and French military precautions were not only compatible with the principles of the United Nations, but were fully justified by the conduct of Egypt. He said that Colonel Nasser’s provocative language had not been met by any retaliation. [Earlier Message, Page 18.)