1956-06-01 - 1956-08-31 PDF

Developments of the Quarter: Comment and Chronology
Source: Middle East Journal, Vol. 10, No. 4 (Autumn, 1956), pp. 395-426
Published by: Middle East Institute
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OF THE QUARTER:
DEVELOPMENTS
COMMENTAND CHRONOLOGY
ARAB NATIONALISM AND THE CRISES

There is hardly one of the crises which now profoundly disturb relations among
the Arabs and the West that cannot be traced to the ever-increasing nationalist
sentiment of the former and the seeming inability of the latter either to compre-
hend or to come to satisfactory terms with it. Westerners are, in effect, asking
Egypt to think not so much of itself as of others in the Suez affair. The French
speak with a sense of injury of the ingratitude of Algerians, just as they demon-
strated hurt surprise when the Lebanese rejected their "special position" in 1943.
The British react with as much sorrow as anger while Jordan breaks, one by one,
its long ties to themselves. Nuri al-Sa'id is criticized by other Arabs for being too
much a friend of the West and for maintaining relationships which diminish what
they believe to be true Arab independence. Arabs look, too, upon the establishment
of Israel in their midst as merely another end-result of Western imperialism,
though Israelis certainly have a different history for the process. Perhaps Buraimi
is an exception, but Saudi Arabs offer the nationalist argument re the community
of like persons to reinforce their old claims.
M. Paul-Henri Spaak, Foreign Minister of Belgium, addressing the Security
Council session of October 8, treated of nationalism as if it were a narcotic for
which the West had taken a drastic, remembered cure and asked Egyptians not to
adopt a habit that Europeans had tried and found harmful. He adduced the Coal
and Steel Community as evidence that Western Europe had renounced its super-
nationalism and thought this a good example for Egypt to follow in its relation-
ship with the Users' Association to administer the Suez waterway. Secretary-
General Hammarskjold, in another vein, recently asked all member-states to
increase their use of the machinery of the United Nations in the settlement of
disputes. It is the essence of the process that some measure of national sovereignty is
relinquished to the organization. It will be agreed that, to date, this measure has
been small. In the meanwhile, there could be no wonder if Egyptians were to ask
to what degree Europeans, and the West in general, have given up the sixteenth-
century concept that national sovereignty means "supreme power. . . unrestrained
by law." The Coal and Steel Community is a praiseworthy effort, but it hardly
constitutes proof that the international good has become the criterion of European
governmental activity, or that nationalistic concerns have been reduced beyond
the degree to which they might conflict with others.
The Arabs learned nationalism-a concept foreign to the traditional organiza-
tion of their society-from the West. The phenomenon which shatters present re-
lationships between the two is part of the very process of Westernization itself, and
395

396 THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL
the pure theory is as applicable to Arabs, and to others, as it was to the French in
the time of Jean Bodin.
As matters now stand, it should not be surprising that President 'Abd al-Nasir
was at the lowest ebb of personal popularity with his own people when he was most
acceptable to the West and that those things he has done since, which have reduced
that acceptability, have raised his popularity among his own to its highest tide.
This reaction of opposites will probably continue for as long as Arabs think,
rightly or wrongly, that Western proposals for cooperation contain within them
some derogation of Arab sovereignty. The suspicion, in turn, will probably con-
tinue until they are convinced that Western nations are equally willing to consider
measures restrictive, in the common good, of their own sovereignties. Resentment
over the imperial-colonial past has a great deal to do with these attitudes, but
Arabs are by no means sure that matters have changed.
The recent resurgence of Polish and Hungarian nationalisms-two of the more
uncompromising, historically speaking-was a source of profound satisfaction to
the entire Western world, though there was also regret for the bloodshed. If these
events have more significance than a goring of the Soviet ox and if, as it seems,
ardent nationalisms are the order of the day, then it might be well to devote more
effort in the search for legitimate means of accommodation as between equals
rather than spend time in lecturing as if to naughty children and drawing plans
for the restoration of edifices that have crumbled beyond the point of usefulness.

DEVELOPMENTS OF THE QUARTER: COMMENT AND CHRONOLOGY 397
Chronology
June i-August 31, 1956
July 26: The USSR denied that its policy toward the
General Arab States had changed and declared that Soviet-
1956 Arab friendship was based on a community of
June i: Radio Cairo's Voice of the Arabs program interest. It accused the U. S. of showing antipathy
toward the Arabs.
broadcast practical instructions in propaganda to
July 27: After an emergency meeting the French
all Arabs outside the Arab World.
Cabinet indicated that France would favor mili-
Arab States representatives in the UN refused
tary occupation of the Suez Canal Zone if Britain
to support a modified British resolution toward a
joined her.
settlement in Palestine. They objected to the
phrase "a mutually acceptable solution" as per- July 29: Britain and France urged the U. S. to join
petuating the existence of Israel, de jure as well them in devising a policy to put the Suez Canal
as de facto. under international jurisdiction. Under the plan
June 4: Britain agreed to withdraw the "mutually Egypt would be guaranteed a special position in
acceptable solution" clause from her proposal for the administration of the canal and a substantial
an Arab-Israeli peace in response to Arab de- share in operating revenues. The principle of
mands. free passage to all ships in peace or war would be
June 7: UN Secretary General Hammarskjold said reaffirmed under a consortium better adapted to
that there could be no lasting settlement in Pales- modern conditions than the i888 Convention.
tine unless it were mutually acceptable. The USSR announced its support of Egypt's na-
June I5: Arab spokesmen in Washington warned the tionalization of the Canal as legal.
US against supporting the French position in Al- Varying reactions from other countries were re-
geria, particularly to the extent of using American ported on the Egyptian action. Spain expressed
equipment from NATO to crush Algerian na- approval. Turkey accused Egypt of a unilateral
tionalists. act of violence. Israel condemned the action.
June I6: Soviet Foreign Minister Shepilov arrived Jordan defended Egypt's right to nationalize. Sudan
in Cairo and called for closer Soviet-Arab ties and did not comment, although wishing Egypt suc-
an end of the Western "monopoly" of the Middle cess, in a statement by Premier Khalil.
East. July 3o: French Premier Mollet called Nasir a
June I8: Thirteen Asian-African states asked the would-be Hitler. He said the issue was that of
Security Council to take up without delay the a government breach of its international obliga-
"grave situation" in Algeria. tions.
June 2I: Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi British Prime Minister Eden said that Britain
Arabia, and the Arab Bank signed an agreement would not accept complete control of the Suez
to set up an Arab potash company with a capital Canal by a single power. He rejected Egyptian
of i,ool,ooo dinars, with Jordan contributing President Nasir's plan to use Canal tolls to pay
500,000 dinars, the other countries proportional for the projected Aswan Dam. He said all arms
amounts. The remainder of the capital, 3,500,000 shipments to Egypt had stopped.
dinars, would be sold by public subscription. July 3I: The U. S. Treasury Department froze all
July 5: UN Secretary General Hammarskjold said assets of the Egyptian Government and the Suez
that he was more optimistic than at any previous Canal Company in the U. S.
time over the chances for an ultimate settlement Soviet Party leader Nikita Khruschchev ap-
in the Middle East. pealed to the West for moderation in their re-
July Io: Hammarskjold announced a change in plans action to nationalization of the Suez Canal.
to include a trip to Israel and Egypt July 19-22, as Italy reproved Egypt for nationalization of the
a followup to his previous truce mission. Canal, but made it clear she had no intention of
July I8: President Nasir of Egypt, Prime Minister taking action in the matter.
Nehru of India, and Yugoslav President Tito met The Suez Canal Company notified all shipping
at Brioni Island, on the Adriatic, for talks on the companies throughout the world that it was no
world situation and the role of their countries as longer responsible for the safe operation of ships
"mediators" in the cold war. in the Canal.
July rg: The meeting on Brioni Island of neutral Aug. z: Canada came out in favor of international
leaders Nasir, Nehru, and Tito ended in a com- control of the Suez under the UN.
munique which indicated friendship but no defi- Egypt said she would await formal notice before
nite policies for implementation of joint efforts. commenting on the conference plan.

Newspapersin Communist China continued to free use of the Canal a matter of life and death
approve of nationalizationof the Canal. for Britain and Europe.
Indian Prime Minister Nehru said Egypt's ac- Franceexpelled 3 Egyptiansand a Lebanese,all
tion was a sign of the weakening of European former Arabic-languageannouncerson the French
domination of Asia and the Middle East of more National Radio System. The expulsion coincided
than ioo years. with increasedFranco-Egyptiantension over Suez,
Aug. 3: U. S. Secretary of State Dulles expressed but was based on an earlier dispute, when the 4
confidencethat the forthcomingconferencewould refused to read a dispatch on the air deemed
be able to draw up a workable plan for admin- harmful to Egypt.
istration of the Canal. The Arab economics experts' conference in
Both Britain and France declared that they Cairo approved Article I of the project proposed
would use force if necessaryto protect their in- by the Secretariat General of the Arab League
terests and restore international control of the calling for complete economic unity among the
Suez Canal. Arab states.
Egypt accused the WesternBig Three of having Aug. IO: The U. S., Britain and France began
invited her to the conference on the Suez Canal limited circulation of their proposals for solving
under threat of armed force and planned eco- the Suez dispute. The proposals called for a new
nomic pressure. international authority to have genuine control
The Soviet newspaper Pravda condemned Bri- of the canal's operations, a provision for a rea-
tain for reassigning naval forces in the Mediter- sonable income for Egypt, more than the $17 mil-
ranean nearer the Suez Canal. lion earned by Egypt in 1955,a firm arrangement
Aug. 4: Acceptances to the Aug. i6 conference on for compensating the shareholdersin the former
Suez were received from Greece, Ceylon, Aus- Universal Suez Canal Company, and an arbitra-
tralia, Italy, Norway, Pakistan and Portugal. In- tion panel appointed by the World Court for
dia requested more information before deciding. mediation of disputes over the Canal.
South Africa restricted sterling payments to Aug. II: Britain rejected the Soviet suggestion to
Egypt. ask 22 other nations to the conferencein addition
Aug. 5: The Arab League set a meeting for Aug. 7 to the 24 already asked.
to vote formal support for Egypt's nationaliza- The Indonesian Parliamentapprovedby unani-
tion of Suez. Lebanon and Jordan were the first mous voice vote a resolution supporting Egypt's
members to announce their attendance. nationalizationof the SuezCanal.
Government leaders in Iraq and Lebanon de- YugoslavPresident Tito expressedsurprisethat
clared their support of Egypt. Yugoslaviahad not been invited to the London
The Soviet Government made it clear that conference. Hungary also stated that she should
Moscow would not support the West's proposal have been invited as heir to the Austro-Hungarian
for an international conference on Suez unless Empire, a signatoryto the i888 convention.
Egyptian sovereigntywere guaranteed. The Gov- Aug. Io: The Arab WorkersFederationmet in Cairo
ernment cancelled the export license of the Egyp- and issued a number of resolutionsof support for
tian cargoship Star of Luxor, scheduledto sail for Egypt'saction on Suez.
Lebanon with a cargo of arms. Aug. 12: Britain announced a major airlift to the
Aug. 7: U. S. Secretaryof State Dulles said that if Middle East, moving about 5000 men and equip-
the London conference on Suez failed, economic ment during the forthcoming week.
pressure might be brought to bear on Egypt. He Egypt rejected the invitation to attend the
did not specify the method of pressureto be exer- London conference and warned that the confer-
cised. ence had no right to interfere in its sovereignty
Britain clamped new restrictions on military regardingcontrolof the SuezCanal.
news as the aircraft carrier Ocean sailed from The Arab League Political Committeeexpressed
Plymouth for the Middle East. Reinforcementof support for Egypt's nationalization of the Canal,
the Middle East was designated Operation Magic. and called on the West to stop threateningEgypt.
Australia, India, West Germany, Japan, and Aug. 13: The U. S. said it was in full accord with
Ethiopia accepted invitations to attend the Lon- Britain and France on means of solving the Suez
don conferenceon Suez. Canal dispute by the London conference.
The EgyptianEmbassyin L<ondon issueda state- The Labor Opposition in Britain broke with
ment declaring that it was a "matter of vital in- the Eden Government over the use of force in
terest"to Egypt that navigation not only be main- internationalizing the Canal. It demanded as-
tained but intensified and increased in the Suez surancethat the Government'smilitary policy was
Canal. merely a precautionagainst possible aggression.
Aug. 8: Prime MinisterEden told the British people The Arab League said that it would consider
that Egypt'sPresidentNasir was solely responsible any attack on Egypt as an attack on the League,
for the dispute over Suez.He said Britain'squarrel and would give Egypt full military support. The
was not with Egypt but with Nasir. He called League also supported President Nasir's sug-

gestion for a conferenceof the 45 nations that use left over after paymentof compensationshould go
the Canal following the London conference and to Egypt.
sponsoredby Egypt. Aug. I8: British Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd
The Suez Canal Company denied charges by asked the London conferenceto agree on an out-
Nasir that it had attempted to perpetuate its con- line of a plan for international control of Suez.
cessionbeyond the 1968 expiration date. The American Association for the United Na-
A British liner, the S. S. Largs Bay, was ordered tions urged that the future of the Suez Canal be
to go around the Cape of Good Hope instead of decided within the UN. It contended that a UN
through the Suez Canal, en route to Australia. conference would put no state in the awkward
The governments of Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and position of "acquiescing"to another.
Jordan sanctioned strikes and set mass rallies for Aug. I9: Pravda accused the West of attempting to
Aug. 14 and 15 in support of Egypt's nationaliza- take over the Suez Canal under the aegis of "an
tion of the SuezCanal. internationalauthority."
Aug. i4: Britain restrictedthe export of all aircraft The Gulf Oil Corporationcalled for "firm and
and aircraft spare parts to Egypt. The new ruling reliable internationalcontrol of Suez."
closed a loophole in Britain's previous restric- AUg.2I: Egypt agreed to negotiate on Suez provided
tions on aircraft exports to Egypt, which did not French and British forces sent to reinforce the
include airplane frames and spare parts. Middle East were withdrawn beforehand. At the
The French Cabinet approved a plan for full London conference, the revised plan offered by
internationalcontrol of Suez. the U. S. for control of the Canal won a vote of
U. S. Secretaryof State Dulles left the U. S. for confidenceby i8 to 4. The plan was favored over
the London conference. an Indian one which would create an interna-
The U. S. formed an emergency committee to tional board merelyfor consultation.
ensure an adequate supply of oil for Britain and The Indian delegation presented a five-point
Western Europe in the event of an interruption proposal to the London Conferenceon Suez, call-
in supplies from the Middle East. The committee ing for a reaffirmationof the i888 Constantinople
was composed of 13 representativesfrom U. S. oil Convention;that a conferencebe called to review
its provisions;that "considerationbe given to the
companies.
associationof international user interestswith the
Aug. I5: The West German delegation to the Lon- Egyptian Corporation for the Suez Canal"; that
don conference left Bonn with instructions to a consultative body of user interests be formed
endorse a compromisesolution on Suez acceptable on the basis of geographical representation and
to Egypt. be charged with advisory functions; and that the
Indian Prime Minister Nehru warned that use Egyptian Government transmit to the UN the
of force in the Suez crisis would start a world war. annual report of "the Egyptian Corporation for
Aug. i6: U. S. Secretary of State Dulles presented the SuezCanal."
the London conferencewith a U. S.-British-French The Suez Canal Company confirmed in Paris
plan for an international board to operate the that its pilots on leave had been advised to delay
Canal. Associated with the UN, Egypt would be their return to duty.
representedon the board. Aug. 22: Egypt threatened to give priority in the
Aug. I7: The USSR rejected the plan offered to the Suez Canal to all ships over those of Britain
conference by Secretary Dulles for international and France if British and French Canal pilots
operation of Suez, and called instead for another quit their jobs.
conference. The Soviet view, given by Foreign India's Prime Minister Nehru told Indian lead-
Minister Shepilov, was that Egypt should assume ers that the Suez crisis had eased. He said that
obligations to guarantee free transit, to maintain India had taken part in the London Conference
and improve the canal, and to fix tolls only after to help reach a settlement, although he had
international consultation. doubts about its representativeness.
Indonesia'sPresidentSoekarnodefended Egypt's The USSR and India together blocked a pro-
right to nationalize the Canal, and urged all posal at the London Conferenceto ask Egypt to
newly-independentstates, especially those in Asia negotiate with other nations for an international
and Africa, to warn the West not to interfere regime to control the Canal.
with Egypt'saction. Aug. 23: The London Conference Ended with an
French Foreign Minister Pineau said in a agreement by i8 of the nations attending to ask
speech at the conference that the Suez Canal Egypt to discuss international operation of the
Companyshould be kept in existence as an invest- Canal. A committee of representativesof 5 na-
ment company. He suggested that part of the tions, Australia, Ethiopia, Iran, Sweden, and the
Canal revenues should be put aside to compen- U. S., was formed to meet to make plans for con-
sate stockholders until 1968. He called for the tacting Egypt. Only the USSR, India, Indonesia,
proposed international authority for running the and Ceylon opposed the decision of the Con-
canal to be non-profit, and said that any receipts ference.

Soviet CommunistParty leader Khrushchevsaid Abba Eban, Israel's UN representative,wamed

that if war breaks out over the Suez crisis "The member states that Egypt might discriminate
Arabs will not stand alone . . . there will be against their shipping in the Suez Canal,as it had
volunteers." done to Israel.
The U. S. International CooperationAdminis- President Eisenhower said that the U. S. was
tration said that it would not send additional not challenging Egypt's ownership of the Suez
technicians to Egypt until the Suez crisis was Canal, but merely pointing out the right of
over. other nations under the i888 Convention to use
Communist China and India agreed to help it "in perpetuity."
Egypt get around Britain's freeze on Egyptian Four Paris newspapers stated that the Suez
sterling accounts. China deposited 20 million Canal Company had sent them checks for pub-
Swiss francs in Egyptian accounts in Swiss banks. lishing its statements during the Suez crisis.
India and Egypt agreed to continue to exchange
goods without payment for the present.
Aug. 24: Representativesof the 5 nations selected
to present the London Conference plan for in- Aden
ternational control of Suez met for the first time. (See also Yemen)
The Egyptian Embassyin Bonn said that appli-
I956
cations were being received from West German
pilots on the Kiel Canal to work on the Suez June 2: Eleven members of the United National
Canal. Front and the South Arabian League were sen-
Aug. 25: U. S. Secretaryof State Dulles expressed tenced and fined ?625 for organizing an illegal
the hope that Egypt would accept suggestionsfor procession May ii on the arrival of British For-
internationaloperationof Suez. eign SecretaryLloyd in Aden.
Hugh Gaitskell, leader of the British Labor June 6: The Aden Governmentdenied that a British
Party, called on the British Government to en- patrol had been wiped out by tribesmen in a
courage non-Egyptian pilots to remain on their clash south of Yemen.
Suez Canal jobs. June 9: A strike of Luke Thomas Co. employees
Aug. 26: President Nasir agreed to meet the five- began.
nation committee organized at the London Con- July 9: Three personswere killed and 15 injured in
ference, and led by Australian Prime Minister demonstrationsin the Tawahi area over the de-
Menzies,to discussthe future of Suez. tention of 3 men.
A statement issued by the Suez Canal Company
declared that it could not provide for the safety
of its staff in Egypt. It charged the new Egyptian
administration with interference and coercion at Afghanistan
all levels of employees. (See also Pakistan)
Aug. 28: Egypt admitted she was seeking qualified
American pilots to work in the Suez Canal. 1956
President Nasir notified the five-nation com- June I9: Casualtiesfrom the earthquakesof June 17
mittee formally of Egypt'swillingness to meet the in the Kunhar and Shaigan Valleys were esti-
committeeto discussthe future of Suez. mated at 2000. About 300 personswere killed and
SecretaryDulles attacked the USSR for its tac- severalvillages buried.
tics in attempting to obstruct a peaceful solution Aug. I6: Kabul went on strike in support of Egypt's
to the Suez crisis, and its propaganda broadcasts nationalizationof the Suez Canal.
to Egypt. AUg. 2I: Afghanistan refused to issue a visa to
Aug. 29: President Eisenhower appealed for world A. M. Rosenthal, New York Times correspondent
support of the London Conference proposal for in India, to permit him to cover the Kabul in-
a peaceful soultion of the Suezcrisis. ternational trade fair. The Afghan Embassy in
Aug. 3o: The Permanent Council of NATO was New Delhi said that it had instructionsto ban all
called to a meeting set for Sept. 5 to discuss the correspondents of the Times, as a matter of
Suez Canal dispute. policy.
President Nasir called in U. S. Ambassador Aug. 25: The U. S. State Department reported that
Byroade to protest against President Eisenhower's the Afghanistan Governmenthad lifted the ban
statement of Aug. 29, which stated that the Suez on New York Times correspondent Rosenthal
Canal had been "internationalizedby the i888 and would permit him to attend the fair. The
Convention."He said the Canal was an integral Governmentsaid that the ban had resulted from
part of Egypt. a "misunderstanding."
Aug. 3I: The British Governmentrejectedan Oppo- Prime Minister Muhammad Da'ud Khan an-
sition demand for a special session of Parliament nounced military arms agreementswith the USSR
within 15 days to discuss the Suez situation. and Czechoslovakia.No details were given.

June 15: Two members of the French Cabinet told

Algeria a group at Tindouf in the Saharathat reinforce-
(See also General, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, ments airlifted to the area had eliminated the
Syria, Tunisia) danger of further attacks by rebels. A previous
attack on the small French post of Cum al
I956
Hachar, loo miles north of Tindouf, on June i,
June I: Former French Premier Paul Reynaud was the first by rebels in the Sahara regions of
called on Premier Mollet to define France'speace Algeria and Morocco.
aims in Algeria as a prerequisite to ending the June I7: Premier Mollet said in Narbonne that the
rebellion. He said he and most of his fellow In- situation in Algeriahad been completely"righted"
dependents supported the Government's efforts by France's resolve to make political and social
to pacify the country by blanketingit with troops, reformsand the courageof her soldiers.
but asked a clear statement that military meas- June i8: Thirteen Asian and African nations ap-
ures now in effect would suffice. pealed to the Security Council to take up the
Thirty members of the Algerian Communist Algerian problem.
Party and the nationalists were arrested in Al- The Algerian rebel flag, green and white with
giers. a red star and crescent,was flown in Tangier for
June 2: Premier Mollet offered Algeria wider self- the first time at a mass meeting organizedby the
rule when peace was restored. He said that in- Istiqlal Party.
creased autonomy would include voting by Mus- June 20: France reorganizedlocal administrationin
lims and Europeansin a single college, instead of Algeria. The 4 large departmentsof Algiers,Bone,
separately as in the past. He asked the National Constantineand Oran were cut up into 12 smaller
Assembly for a vote of confidence on the Gov- departments. Authority was also given to local
ernment'spolicies at home and abroad. communesnow administeredby appointed French
Two French divisions mopped up remnants of officials to elect communal councils with govern-
a big Algerian rebel force in the "Gatesof Iron" ing powers.
triangle in northeastAlgeria. June 2I: The National Liberation Front published
June 4: Finance Minister Paul Ramadier said the a handbill warning that ioo French civilians
first installment on the cost of keeping Algeria would be killed for every "patriot" executed by
French was $285,ooo,ooo.He set the total cost of French authorities.
military measures in North Africa in the current June 23: Violence continuing since the execution of
budget at 215 billion francs ($613,ooo,ooo). He 2 terroristson June 19, in Algiers, totalled 9 dead,
said the Governmentwas consideringtax increases including 2 rebels, and 25 injured.
and rises in the cost of state-monopolytobacco to Newspaper advertisementsin Los Angeles ap-
produce this additional revenue. peared seeking to recruit aviation techniciansfor
A decisive French victory was claimed in a five- the Algerian Liberation Army, and offering sala-
day engagement that wiped out large rebel nests ries up to $1500 monthly.
in Constantine Province. At least 500 rebels were June 24: Heavy fighting in Algeria resulted in 62
killed and 260 captured. casualties. A French dentist was killed in down-
A Jewish synagoguewas burned at Orleansville, town Algiers.
east of Algiers. June 26: The UN Security Council refused to de-
June 5: Premier Mollet won a vote of confidencein bate the Algerian issue, by a vote of 7 to 2, with 2
his Algerian policy by a vote of 271 to 59 in the abstentions.
National Assembly,with 271 abstentions. French operations resulted in 6o rebels killed
Foreign MinisterPineau politely rejectedIndian and 33 capturedin Algeria.
Prime Minister Nehru's offer for settlement of the June 27: The French Cabinet approved a decree
Algerian issue, because it involved recognition of authorizing the expropriation of big Algerian
the "Algerian national entity." farms to distribute to landless Muslims. It was
June 7: A riot of 2000 workersin Le Havre delayed the first major step of the Mollet Government
the departure of 15 reservistsfor more than an in support of its promise to make large-scale
hour. economic reforms. Under the decree the govern-
June 9: French troops killed 126 nationalists and ment was authorized to transfer to a new land
captured 250 in two separatedrives. bank lands owned by a single proprietor in ex-
June io: Premier Mollet won support from the So- cess of mooohectares (about 2500 acres).
cialist Party's National Council after he said that Eighty-two rebels were killed in western Al-
he had made a standing offer to the rebels for a gerian battles.
ceasefire. July I: The French Socialist party issued a resolu-
June i3: An Arab policeman and several Arab in- tion supporting Premier Mollet's policy of seek-
spectors of the judicial police force and investiga- ing a middle ground between colonial rule of
tive departmentwere arrestedin Algiers for com- Algeria and outright abandonmentof the country
plicity with the rebels. to Arab nationalism. The resolution urged wide

autonomy but the retention of strong links be- turn to the government, including the right to
tween France and Algeria, and defended French levy a io% increasein income taxes.
troops there as a necessarypacification measure. July 25: Premier Mollet agreed to a public loan to
July 4: Algerianswent on strike both in Franceand finance the Algeria campaign. He and his cabinet
in Algiers on the 126th anniversaryof the French advisors worked out a compromise proposal to
conquestof Algeria. raise the necessary 3oo billion francs by first
July 6: A rebel band was wiped out at Birkadem,in launching a 150 billion franc public loan. The
the suburbsof Algiers. government would have the right, if the loan
July 7: The Soviet Union came out unequivocally were not fully subscribedby mid-autumn, to im-
in support of Algerian independence and con- pose new taxes to make up the difference.
demned French Premier Mollet's policy in edi- July 27: French Premier Mollet asked the National
torials in Pravda. Assembly for a vote of confidence on a bill de-
European members of a home guard unit in manding extra credits to finance French military
Boufarik, south of Algiers, killed 7 Arabs and effortsin Algeria.
wounded 2o. July 28: The National Assembly voted 273 to 163
July IO: A strong French drive got underwayin the to approve Premier Mollet's plan to finance the
Blida-Palestroregion. Algerian campaign. The plan would authorize
the government to raise 150,000,000,000 francs to
July 14: A granade thrown in La Robertsau, be- finance half the cost of maintaining 400,000 troops
tween Constantineand Bone, killed 13 Arabs and in Algeria this year, by a combinationof taxation
a French corporal. and loans from individuals through a bond issue.
An announcement from the office of French July 29: French forces killed 66 rebels in clashes in
Resident Minister Lacoste said that civil servants eastern Algeria.
who had participated in a July 5 general strike July 3o: The upper house of the French Parliament
ordered by the National Liberation Front would approved a bill passed by the National Assembly
be treated with leniency. The announcementalso on July 28 to raise money for the Algerian cam-
said that "certain categories of persons detained paign. Only 14 Communistsvoted against the bill.
in internment camps"would be freed. July 31: A rebel band was destroyednear Taberdga
July 15: French forces clashed with a strong rebel in northeasternAlgeria. Thirty-three rebels were
band at Nedroma; 17 rebels and about io French reported killed and 12 wounded, all in uniform.
Legionnaires were reported killed. The French Aug. i: An Arab youth congress meeting in Cairo
command said that numerous rebel bands had called for the nationalization of all oil resources
been smashed in an eight-day offensive in the and foreign companies in the Arab world. The
Lamy area along the Tunisian frontier. congressalso recommendedthat all Arab govern-
Henri Fouques-Duparc, Mayor of Oran, said ments extend materialaid to Algeriannationalists.
that eastern Morocco belonged to Algeria and Aug. 3: A rebel band of 67 was wiped out near
should be annexed. Djellal in the Aures Mountains. In Algiers, 2
July I6: A French train was wreckedbetween Batna Europeans were killed in Algiers, and another
and Biskra. A European civilian and 9 Senegalese shot accidentallyby a French patrol.
riflemen were killed, and 14 Senegalesewounded. Aug. 4: France announced she would stop publish-
July I7: Prime Minister Nehru of India arrived in ing casualty figures in Algeria because (1) publi-
Paris. Nehru participated in talks with French cation of lists of rebels killed there would shock
leaders which resulted in significant, but undis- French public opinion, and (2) it would aid the
closed, terms on the French side for a truce in Nationalists.
Algeria. Aug. 5: Rebels wounded 2 French soldiers and a
July 2o: Meeting in Yugoslavia, President Tito, French restaurateurin Algiers.
President Nasir, and Prime Minister Nehru ap- Aug. 6: The funeral of a Frenchmankilled by an
pealed for a ceasefirein Algeria. The main points Arab nationalist led to a riot in which 2 Arabs
of their joint communiquewere: recognitionboth were killed and 1 wounded, in Arba, north of
of European interests and independence from Algiers.
colonial rule for Algeria. Aug. 7: Nationalists killed 9 French and wounded
July 23: Rebel attacks in the Algiers area resulted 2 in the ambush of 2 French army vehicles south
in 2 French soldiers killed and 4 policemen of Algiers.
wounded. Seven hundred and fifty acres of the Bainem
July 24: Terrorists attacked 2 French patrols in State Forest were destroyed by fire near Algiers.
Algiers, killing 1 and wounding 3. Minister of Two Algerian moderates stated that Egypt's
Finance Paul Ramadier told the Finance Com- seizureof the SuezCanal had encouragedAlgerian
mittee of the National Assembly that he would rebels to the point that they might be able to
accept a bond issue as a means of financing mili- prolong their fight against the French.
tary expenditure in Algeria, if it were accom- Aug. 8: The fire in Bainem State Forestwas brought
panied by provisions guaranteeing adequate re- under control.

Two European farms were destroyed at Mener- Aug. 28: Gunmen raided a police station on the
ville, east of Algiers. outskirtsof Algiers,killing a policeman.
Aug. 9: Thirteen French were killed in an ambush The Algiers police declared they had "prac-
near Tablat. tically destroyed"a terroristgroup.
Muhammad ben Muhammad Tiffrouine, a na- Aug. 29: Internal security agents reported that they
tionalist convicted of killing a French gendarme had uncovered a major attempt to infiltrate the
in Algiers, was executed. He was the fifth na- Algiers police department by nationalists. Nine
tionalist to be executed legally since the start of personswere arrested.
the rebellion. Aug. 3I: Premier Mollet said he would go to Algiers
Aug. io: An explosion in the Casbah of Algiers next week in a major effort to settle Algeria's
killed 5 and wounded 12. political future.
Aug. II: The explosion in the Casbah was attrib-
uted by the French to the accidental detonation
of a secret rebel powder magazine. Algerian rebels Cyprus
attributed it to French counter-terrorists. (See also Turkey)
Aug. I2: A French patrol was reported ambushed
in the Aumale district southeast of Algiers, with 1956
2o killed, several wounded, and 25 missing. June I: Sir Anthony Eden declared that Cyprus
Aug. I5: A rebel band of about 150 crossed the was an essential element in Britain's defense of
Moroccan frontier into Algerian territory south her "legitimate and vital interests," and said
of Nemours. that there could bLeno friendship between Brit-
Two Europeans were killed by terrorists in Al- ain and Greece as long as Greece incited terror-
giers. ism against British forces on Cyprus.
Aug. i6: A series of terrorist attacks in Algiers re- A collective fine of ?4o,ooo was levied on the
sulted in the deaths of 2 terrorists; 1 1 others were Greek communities of Famagustaand Varosha.
wounded by security fire. June 3: Sir John Harding, Governorof Cyprus,ar-
Aug. I9: A rebel statement listed 4 conditions for rived in Britain.
a ceasefire in Algeria. They were (i) recognition June 4: A British soldier and a Turkish Cypriote
of an indivisible Algerian nation, with its natural policeman were killed. Two instances of Greek-
Sahara extensions; (2) unconditional recognition Turkish Cypriote communal strife were reported
of Algerian independence; (3) release of all Al- in Varosha.In Famagusta,a Turkish mob wrecked
gerians interned, imprisoned or exiled for "politi- the Greek quarter in revenge for the killing of a
cal" activities; (4) recognition by France of a pro- Turkish Cypriotepoliceman.
visional Algerian government qualified to negotiate June 5: Cypriote terroristsin Britain scatteredleaf-
a treaty between France and Algeria. lets from a car in Manchesterthreatening to kill
Aug. 23: A skeleton headquarters for a French Medi. GovernorHarding.
terranean force was announced as having been set June 6: A British schoolteacherwas killed in Limas-
up in Algiers, under the command of Maj. Gen. sol.
Andre Beaufre, commander of the 2nd Mechanized The Greek Chamberof Deputies in Athens ap-
Infantry Division stationed in eastern Algeria. proved a message to be sent to all world parlia-
Lieut. Gen. Fernand Besancon, Inspector Gen- ments protesting "Turkish excesses"in Cyprus.
eral of French artillery and anticraft forces, was An unidentified person telephoned UN head-
killed in a plane crash south of Mascara, Algeria. quarters in New York and said that the "Cyprus
Aug. 24: French authorities reported that a secret Liberation Movement"would set off a bomb in
rebel organization had been smashed at Tablat, 42 the UN. Nothing happened.
miles south of Algiers. The organization was June 8: The unfinished British airbase of Akrotiri
said to have served as an information and sub- was damagedby 2 bombs.
version center for Algerian nationalists. June 9: The secretary of the executive council of
Aug. 26: French Minister Residing in Algeria Robert the Cyprus Orthodox Church was en route to
Lacoste was hospitalized for a kidney operation. London for renogotiations on self-government.
A French convoy was ambushed near Ziama- He had been invited by Labor MP Francis Noel-
Mansouriah, northwest of Constantine; i i French Baker.
were killed and i6 wounded; the French killed A second major offensiveagainst EOKA terror-
9 rebels. ists began in the Troodos Mtns. The new offensive
Aug. 27: Marshal Pierre Juin, himself a native supplemented a two-week campaign in which 17
of Bone, Algeria, and generally regarded as a terroristswere captured.
spokesman for ultraconservative French colonials, June Io: Two hundred Cypriotes held a protest
said in a speech that Algeria should be given a march in London to denounce British actions on
large measure of internal autonomy. the island.
Thirty-two rebels were reported, and 4 cap- June I2: The junior dean of the Greek Orthodox
tured, in separate actions in Algeria. Church in London, Kallinikos Macheriotis, was

deported to Greece due to his support of enosis. lined his own plan for a Constitutional Govern-
June I3: Prime Minister Eden said the U. S. Gov- ment in Cyprus:a legislative assemblyof 2 houses;
ernment had backed his offers of self-government the lower house to have one elected member for
to Cyprus. every io,ooo Cypriotes (thus giving the Greeks a
June I4: A six-man inner cabinet of the Cyprus 4-tO-1 majority;) the upper house to consist of 8
Ethnarchy was reported willing to study and ethnic Greeks and 8 ethnic Turks, with veto
draft constitution proposed by Britain and pass powersover the lower house. He said that Cyprus
it on to the exiled Archbishop Makarios. should be self governing under the British Com-
June 15: William Boteler, vice-consulat the Ameri- monwealth but without authority to hold a pleb-
can Consulate in Nicosia, was killed by a bomb iscite on enosis.
thrown into a Nicosia restaurant. Five other June 28: British troops searched the Nicosia ceme-
Americans were injured, 3 seriously. tery for arms hidden under tombstones,but with-
June I7: British troops hunting EOKA terroristsin out success. The action was protested by the
the Troodos Mtns. were trapped by forest fires, Ethnarchy.
with i9 reportedkilled by the flames. June 30: A group of wealthy residentsof Famagusta
Col. George Grivas, reputed EOKA leader, led by Mayor Pouyourosfiled a court request for
narrowly escaped capture in the same area. The an injunction halting collection of the fine levied
British reported capturing a "complete moun- on the town a month previously,on grounds that
tain gang" of 7 terrorists,and personal gear be- collectivepunishmentwas illegal.
longing to Grivas. July 2: Britain disclosed that Turkey had rejected
June I8: The U. S. State Departmentdenouncedthe British requeststo permit eventual self-determina-
acts of violence on Cypruswhich caused the death tion for Cyprus.
of Vice-ConsulBoteler as "a blind and senseless After severaldays of calm and absenceof terror-
course." ism, a Greek Cypriote boy was killed and 2 Brit-
A new draft proposal of self-government to ish soldiers wounded by a bomb at Koma Tou
Cypruswas under debate in Britain. Yialou on Cape Andreas.
June ig: Terroristsbombed a funeral cortege carry- July 3: British troops and Cypriotesfought side by
ing 2 British soldiers killed in forest fires set June side to stem a three-dayforest fire in the troodos
17, and narrowlymissed a British chaplain. Mountains.
The Greekdelegation to the UN expressedsym- A Greek Cypriote clerk was sentenced to death
pathy to the U. S. for the death of vice-consul in Nicosia for murdering a Turkish Cypriotepo-
William Boteler, on Cyprus. liceman in April.
June 21: A strict curfew in Nicosia was broken by a Leafletsissued by EOKAand signed "Dighenis"
bomb thrown into the offices of the Electricity apologized for the bomb death of U. S. Vice-
Authority which wounded 2 Turkish Cypriote Consul William Boteler, and said the bomb had
policemen. been meant for a Briton.
June 22: A collective fine Of ?35,o0o imposed on July 4: Bishop Anthimos, acting leader of the Greek
Limassol brought threats of legal action by law. Cypriotes,deplored what he called Britain's tend-
yers in both that city and Famagusta,which was ency to settle the Cyprusissue by satisfying Tur-
fined ?40,000 on June i, to test the legality of the key first.
action. The Troodos forest fire was brought under con-
June 23: Governor Harding returning to Cyprus trol; it had destroyed15 square miles.
from 3 weeks'consultationin Britain. July 6: A curfew was imposed on Kharcha village
June 24: The KykkoMonasterywas allowed to main- after youths stoned British troops who had or-
tain a staff of 20 monks and to remain open, al- dered them to wipe out anti-British slogans
though not to the public, after negotiations be- painted on walls.
tween its Chief Abbot and the British were con- More than iooo troops combed a 260-square
cluded. The British believed the monastery was mile area searching for the reported terrorist
a hideout for terrorists. leader, Col. George Grivas.
June 25: Justice Bernard Shaw, who ordered the The District Court set Aug. 17 as a hearing date
execution of 6 Greek Cypriotesfor terrorism,was on the protest against the collective fine levied on
wounded seriouslyby terrorists. Famagusta.
June 27: Dr. Fazil Kusuk, leader of the Turkish July 7: Foreign SecretarySelwyn Lloyd said in a
minority on Cyprus,returned to Cyprusafter con- speech that Britain would accept Turkey's re-
sultations in Ankarawith Turkish officials.He said fusal to accept a compromise settlement in the
that Turkey might quit the Baghdad Pact and Cyprusissue allowing eventual self-determination.
break relations with Britain if Britain granted a Collection of the ?4o,ooo fine levied on Fama-
liberal constitution to the Greek Cypriotes. He gusta was nearly completed.
said that the only constitution acceptable to the July 8: Prime Minister Eden summoned his top
Cypriote Turks was one giving equal rights and aides for an urgent meeting on the British Gov-
equal representation to Cypriote Turks. He out- ernment'snext move in the Cypruscase.

Greek terrorists killed a British soldier and a decreedin November, 1955.The amendmentsper-
British civilian customs official and his wife. mitted the use of force as necessary both for
July lo: The Greek population of Morphou, near arrests and for search and detention.
Nicosia, were invited to a public hearing by A Greek Cypriote coffee shop operator was
British authorities after they challenged the killed in Karcha,north of Nicosia.
validity of collective fines levied against them. Aug. 2: Lord Radcliffereturned to England. He said
None appeared at the meeting. he had talked to a great many people, including
July 12: British Prime Minister Eden announced Turks and Greeks.
that Lord Radcliffe, a jurist, would leave for Aug. 3: A pamphlet circulated in Nicosia by EOKA
Cyprus on July 13 for consultations preparatory said it intended to execute a captured Briton,
to drawing up a constitution for the island. John Cremer, if death sentences on 3 Greek
Nicosia's mayor, Themistocles Dervis, called a Cyprioteswere carriedout.
meeting of all Greek Cypriote mayors to discuss Aug. 4: A second EOKA pamphlet said that the or-
the Eden constitutional plan. The meeting was ganization intended to release Cremer, after the
set for July 14. Leaflets distributed in Nicosia by 3 condemned Cypriotes appealed to it to release
rebels said that for every Greek child killed by him.
British security forces the rebels would kill a Aug. 6: A Greek Cypriote girl whose fiance was
British child, and for every Greek woman slain a killed and her mother beaten by EOKA terrorists
British woman would be slain. made a radio broadcastin which she attacked the
Lord Radcliffe, British law expert, arrived in terroristsand told them to "Get out of our coun-
Cyprus to make a study towards granting new try."
self-governmentto the island. Aug. 7: About 350 political prisoners at a British
The U. S. announced it favored Britain's new detention camp outside Nicosia started a 24-hour
efforts to establish peace on Cyprus. hunger strike in protest against the execution of
July 13: A statement issued by the Cypriote Eth- 3 GreekCyprioteextremists.
narchy said it would refuse to cooperate with Aug. 9: Three Greek Cyprioteswere hanged for ter-
British efforts to draft a new constitution, since rorism in Nicosia. They were Andreas Zakos,
the basic Cypriote demand, enosis with Greece, Charilaos Michael, and lacovos Patatsos. Follow-
was ignored. Themistocles Dervis, mayor of Nico- ing the hanging, 8oo workers at Larnaca struck.
sia and member of the Ethnarchy'sinner Cabinet, American consular official Paul Sprenger,was at-
said that Lord Radcliffe'svisit to the island would tacked at his home and beaten by terrorists.
be "a waste of time," since Archbishop Makarios Robert Tuckman, AP correspondentin Cyprus,
was the true spokesmanfor Greek Cypriotesand was attacked by teenagersand stoned in Nicosia.
must be first consulted on matters concerningthe Activity in Cypruswas at a standstill in protest
Greek community. He also said that no constitu- against the hangings.
tion would be acceptable to Cyprus unless it Aug. Io: The island-widestrike continued. Five per-
guaranteed the people the right to decide their sons were wounded by bombs.
own future. Aug. I5: Four armed gunmen entered Nicosia Gen-
Nearly 2ooo British troops began a new anti- eral Hospital and "rescued" 2 Greek Cypriote
terroristdrive in western Cyprus. convicts there for treatment.
July I7: An RAF member was killed in Nicosia Aug. i6: Leafletsissued by the Terroristorganization
while calling on a Greek girl at her home in a EOKAhad halted its activitiespending a reply by
suburb of Nicosia. the British to the action.
July 20: Bishop Anthimos, acting head of the Eth- Aug. I7: Acting Ethnarch Anthimos asked the Brit-
narchy, scored Foreign Secretary Lloyd's speech ish to return ArchbishopMakariosfrom exile for
of July 19 in the House of Commonsas "unjusti- new negotiations toward a settlement of Cyprus'
fied and libelous" . . . In the speech Mr. Lloyd future.
had said the Cyprus Orthodox Church was Britain commuted the death sentence of a
"blocking normal democratic processes by secret Greek Cypriote,for the first time.
ballot" because the church feared it might lose its The Greek delegation to the UN circulated a
political power. letter signed by a group calling itself the Com-
July 24: British Army public relations officialstook mittee of Political Prisonersof Kokkinotrimythia
press representativeson a tour of detention camps ConcentrationCamp and asking for an investiga-
for Cypriotessuspected of complicity with terror- tion into the plight of Cyprioteleadersit said were
ists, in answer to Athens Radio charges that they held by the British as political prisoners.
were "concentration camps." Conditions were Aug. I8: Governor Sir John Harding said that the
found to be rigorousbut unlike those pictured by Cypriote underground'struce offer could prove a
Athens. turning point in the history of the island, and
July 29: British forces on Cyprus were given wider that it proved that violence was futile waste.
powers to cope with terrorism.GovernorHarding Aug. 22: The British announced a truce offer to ter-
issued amendments to the emergency regulations roristson Cyprus.They were given 3 weeks to sur-

render with their arms. Those who accepted the attackson 2 police stations at Defteraand Yerolak-
offer would be given two alternatives: either go kos, near Nicosia.
freely to Greece, or remain in Cyprus under de- An explosion tore a hole in the side of the
tention. Any terrorists implicated of violence British ship Charles McLeod, moored at Fama-
against individuals who elected to stay in Cyprus gusta.
would be tried. Aug. 31: A Greek Cypriote rebel, Polykarpos Hadji-
Greek Foreign Minister Averoff criticized Brit- georghiu, escaped from the Nicosia General Hos-
ain's amnesty offer to Cyprusguerillas and said it pital in a gun battle between EOKA rebels and
justified Greek requests for UN action on the British policemen. A British police sergeant was
issue. killed and 3 rebels also killed in the fray. Stray
British authorities stated they held 462 terror- bullets killed a Greek hospital attendant and
ists and 56 Communistleadersunder detention on wounded 2 bystanders.
Cyprus.
Aug. 23: Cypriote terrorists rejected British terms
for their surrender,and said they would scrap the
truce terms offered Aug. i6 if Britain did not
Egypt
(See also General,Algeria,India, Iraq, Israel,Jordan,
start negotiations on the future of the island by
midnight Aug. 27. The rejection was made Lebanon, Libya, Palestine Problem, Sudan,
through leaflets scattered in Nicosia. Syria, Tunisia)
Aug. 24: An explosion in Larnacakilled one Greek 1956
Cyprioteand injured another. June I: Premier Nasir pledged the end of military
EOKA distributed leaflets in Nicosia warning rule over Egypt and the transfer of the country
British soldiers: "We are not responsible if Eng- into a cooperative society, and at the same time
lish blood is shed again, plenty of blood this reiterated his determination to continue on the
time." road to neutralism between East and West, in a
Aug. 25: Wire barricadesin Nicosia's streets were major policy speech.
replaced. June 3: Eight members of the Egyptian Cabinet
Aug. 26: The British Government charged that toured the Nile Delta provincesto explain Premier
Archbishop Makarioshad personally directed the Nasir's concept of a cooperativestate to voters, in
terroristactivities of EOKA. It declared that Col. preparation for the June 23 balloting.
George Grivas, supposed leader of the organiza- June 4: Ibrahim Izzat, Egyptian journalist who vis-
tion under the name Dighenis, had reported reg- ited Israel as correspondentfor the Cairo weekly
ularly to the Archbishopfor instructions,and that Rosa al Youssef,chargedin an article on the Arab
the Archbishop had participated in the selection minority in Israel that Arabs inside the country
of victims. It said that thousandsof EOKA docu- "live in subhuman conditions." He also referred
ments seized in Cyprus,including parts of Grivas' to the existence of a "third force" in Israel that
diary, furnished irrefutable proof of the Arch- sought Arab recognition of the state in exchange
bishop's role in the terrorism. for repatriationor compensationof Arab refugees.
Aug. 28: The eleven-day truce called by EOKA ex- June 4: A new Arab newspaper,Al-Sha'b(The Peo-
pired without reports of violence. ple) was started in Cairo by Major Salah Salim,
Aug. 29: Two bombings in Nicosia broke the truce previous Minister of National Guidance in Pre-
calm. There were no casualties. Leaflets distrib- mier Nasir's Revolutionary Command Council
uted in the city declared that "the only solution" who was ousted from his post in August, 1955.
to the Cyprus question was for the British to June 7: Minister of Finance and Economy,'Abd-al-
negotiate with Archbishop Makarios "on the Mon'im-Qaisuni said the Suez Canal Company
terms he has laid down." had promised to invest ? 21 million of its reserve
France received Britain's permission to station funds in Egypt'sdevelopmentprogramsto 1968.
French troops on Cyprusdue to tension over the June 8: The USSR announced that new Foreign
Suez Canal and the need to protect French na- Minister Dmitri Shepilov would go to Cairo on
tionals and their interests in the eastern Medi- June i8 to participate in Egyptian Evacuation
terranean. Day ceremonies,celebrating the departure of the
The Bishop of Kitium, acting head of the British from the Suez Canal Zone.
CyprioteEthnarchy,was confinedto his residence. June 9: Dockersat Port Said refused to unload the
Constantine Efstathopoulos,one of the Greeks Yangtse,from China in transit to Rumania.
mentioned in the alleged diary of Col. George June Il: Several new naval units arrived in Alex-
Grivas, and a former collaborator of Grivas, de- andria for the EgyptianNavy.
clared in Athens that a British agent had offered The interior ministry issued an order restrict-
him $140,000 four months ago in exchange for a ing travel abroad for Egyptiansexcept on business
facsimile of Grivas' handwriting. He said the or for medical treatment. The measure was de-
diary was a forgery. signed to save currency.
Aug. 3o: Two British soldierswere wounded in rebel June I2: The UN Trusteeship Council received a

complaint from Somaliland that Egyptian propa- placed three of his former Revolutionary Com-
gandists were exerting undue pressures on the mand military colleagues with civilians, and
Somalis to force them to join the Arab League added 2 new ministries to control Egypt'sindustry
when they attain independencein 196o.The com- and agrarian reform. Wing Commander Gamal
plaints stated that Egyptian educators sent to al-Din, former Deputy Premier, was made head
Somaliland were causing fears among Somali stu- of a committee to reorganize Egypt's machinery
dents that they would be divorcedfrom Islam un- of government.Wing Cdr. Hasan Ibrahim,former
less they cemented their ties with Egypt. Minister of State, was named to the National
June I3: Britain ended her occupation of the Suez Planning Council. Col. Anwar al-Sadat, also a
Canal Zone. Ministerof State, lost this portfolio but continued
June I7: Soviet Foreign Minister Shepilov made an- as SecretaryGeneral of the Islamic Congressand
other offer to help Egypt with her High Aswan as editor of the semi-officialnewspaperAl-Goum-
Dam project, in a conferencewith Premier Nasir. houria. The three new ministers' names were:
He reportedly offered to lend Egypt the entire 'Aziz Sidqi (Industry),an engineer; Sayyid Mara'i
? 400,000,000 payable at 2 per cent in 2o years. (AgrarianReform), an agriculturalengineer; and
June i8: PremierNasir formally proclaimedthe end Mustafa Khalil Kamal (Communications),a rail-
of British control over Suez. way engineer.
June I9: Nasir proclaimed the end of martial law July 4: The Cabinet announced adoption of the
in Egypt, in effect since the revolution that ousted largest budget in history for 1956-57;$8oo million
former King Faruq. He also ended press censor- was ear-marked for ordinary development, and
ship. He said that all political prisonershad been $128 million for national productiondevelopment.
freed. He called for a "free"Algeria and for good July 8: An Egyptian trade mission headed by Dr.
relations with Britain, in a two-hour speech. Abu Nusayr, Minister of Commerce, arrived in
June 20: The third day of celebrationsmarking the London for talks on British-Egyptiantrade.
end of British occupation of Suez was highlighted July 12: President Nasir arrived in Belgrade for a
by a military parade in Cairo that prominently state visit to Yugoslaviaand talks with President
displayed Egypt's new Communist-purchased Tito and Indian Prime Minister Nehru later this
weapons. month.
Eugene Black, head of the IBRD, held another JUly 13: President Nasir held his first official talk
conversation with Premier Nasir on the subject with President Tito and decided on a list of
of the IBRD proposed loan to help finance the questions to be submitted to Indian Prime Min-
High Aswan Dam. ister Nehru as an agenda for their discussions.
June 23: Egyptian voters went to the polls to elect July 14: Presidents Nasir and Tito held private
a new president and to approve or reject the new talks in anticipation of the arrival of Indian
Constitution. Premier Nasir was the only candi- Prime MinisterNehru next week.
date for president. July I5: Nasir was greeted with a parade by Yugo-
June 24: Premier Nasir received over 99% of the slav Moslemsin Sarajevo.
votes of Egypt's more than 5 million voters for July I6: The formal report issued by the U. S. Sen-
President. Nearly all registered voters indicated ate Appropriations Committee ordered the Ad-
their preference for him as president and ap- ministration to spend no mutual security money
proval of the new Constitution. on the AswanDam in Egypt.
June 25: The Egyptian Cabinet resigned in accord- Egypt and Rumania signed a trade agreement
ance with the results of the election. Final tabula- for exchanges of goods up to ? E 4,500,000.
tion of the ballot showed that 5,508,291 persons July 17: Egyptian Ambassadorto the U. S. Ahmad
out of Egypt's total population of 23,o00,ooo voted, Husayn returned to Washington from Cairo with
including 150,000 women; 5,496,965 voted ap- definite orders to seek aid from the West for con-
proval of Nasir as president; 2,857 voted disap- struction of the Aswan Dam on the basis of the
proval. In the vote for the constitution, 5,488,225 U. S.-Britishoffersof Dec. i6.
approved and 10,046 signified "no." Each voter July 19: The U. S. withdrew its offer of a grant to
received 2 ballots. Invalid ballots, including those help Egypt build the Dam. The withdrawal was
returned unmarked as a sign of protest against explained by saying that Egypt had failed to
the election, totalled 8,469. reach agreement with the Sudan and other
June 28: Egypt sentenced 40 members of the Egyp- riparians on a division of Nile waters, and that
tian Communist Party to prison terms from 2 to Egypt'sability to devote adequate resourcesto the
7 years; 29 others were acquitted. The trial had project had become more uncertain "than at the
begun June 9. The names of those sentencedwere time the offerwas made."
not given. July 20: Britain cancelled her offer of $14,000,000
June 3o: French PremierMollet said PresidentNasir as an initial step in the building of the Aswan
was suffering from delusions of grandeur, or Dam, in line with the previous American with-
megalomania.He spoke at a Socialist Party rally. drawal of aid offers.
President Nasir reshuffledhis cabinet. He re- July 2I: Soviet Foreign Minister Shepilov declared

that the USSR was not considering aid to Egypt Canal Company,Egyptian banks, companies,and
in the construction of the Dam. He stated that individuals.
the problem of the Dam was not as "acute President Nasir warned that any interference
as the United States thinks it is." with the nationalizationof the Canal would cause
The Cairo press commented that Egypt would obstructionof navigation.
"push ahead" with her plan to build the Dam July 29: Egypt banned all exports to Britain and
despite the withdrawal of Western aid. her colonies unless payment was made through a
The Egyptian Military Attache in Amman, third state with acceptable currency. Four ships
Jordan, died of injuries suffered in a bomb ex- preparingto sail with goods to Britain from Alex-
plosion at the Embassy. andria were ordered unloaded. All shipments of
JUly 22: Egyptian authorities said guards aboard a goods to be paid for in sterling were suspended.
French-charteredtroopship in the Suez Canal shot July 3o: Egypt rescinded the order halting all ex-
and killed 2 of 30 Foreign Legionnairestrying to ports payable in sterling, and permitted the re-
escape. loading of the 4 ships held in Alexandria.At the
July 23: The IBRD said that its offer to Egypt of same time she imposed strict monetary controls
$200,0oo,000 in a loan for the constructionof the on foreign bank accounts.
Aswan Dam had automatically expired with the Dr. Bahgat Badawi, new Egyptian head of the
withdrawal of U. S. and British funds. Suez Canal Company, said he would assume his
The Egyptian Finance Ministry said it had re- duties within a few weeks.
ceived assurances from the IBRD only io days July 3I: President Nasir said that nationalization
before the withdrawal of offers of aid from the would in no way affect Egypt'sinternationalobli-
West, that the plan was economically sound. It gations. He stated that Egypt would honor the
was Egypt's first official reaction since the can- i888 Convention and the Anglo-Egyptian agree-
cellation of these offers. ment of 1954 regardingfreedom of navigation for
July 24: President Nasir accused the U. S. of lying the Canal.His political aide, Wing Cdr.'Ali Sabri,
about Egypt's economy when it withdrew its offer said that checks for canal fees must be made pay-
to help build the Aswan Dam. His remarkswere able to the order of the Suez Canal Authority,but
made at the inauguration of a new oil refinery that banks in London and Paris had refused to
outside Cairo and a pipeline to bring oil to it accept checksmade out in this manner. He denied
from Suez. The Soviet Ambassador to Egypt, reports that foreign employees of the company
Yevgeni Kiselev, stated after Nasir's speech that were being forced to work under threat of im-
the USSR stood ready to finance the Aswan Dam prisonment.
if Egypt asked for it; he said he was merely re- Aug. I: Securityofficialsexpelled correspondentsfor
peating the statement made previously by Soviet two British newspapers,the Daily Expressand the
Foreign Minister Shepilov in Moscow,which had London News Chronicle. They also told the local
been "exaggerated"by Western newsmen. reporter for the New York Daily News that he
Egypt reached an agreementwith the Japanese could not send dispatchesto that newspaper.The
shipbuilding company, Harima, for construction two ousted newsmen were accused of gathering
of a 3000-ton dredge to deepen the port of Alex- military information.
andria. An underground radio station broadcastingin
July 26: President Nasir's government nationalized Arabic called upon Egypt to overthrowPresident
the Suez Canal, and announced that all profits Nasir before he brought the country to destruc-
from the Canal would be used to build the Aswan tion.
Dam. Nasir said in a speech that a decision of President Nasir declared that he had the back-
the Cabinet and Council of Ministers had dis- ing of all Arabs in the nationalization of the
solved all bodies controlling the Canal. He said Canal.
that all stockholderswould be reimbursedat the Aug. 3: Egyptianauthoritiesdetained the Norwegian
prevailing Cairostockmarketprice. ship Vito for questioning to determine where it
July 27: Britain protested sharply to Egypt against had made payment of its Canal dues.
nationalizationof the Canal. She called the action Aug. 5: Egypt called up a limited number of her
a serious threat to navigation. Emergencymeet- enlisted reserves. It was also reported that the
ings were called by Prime Minister Eden to con- Cabinet had drafted a quick general mobilization
sider retaliatorymeasures. in the event of war over Suez.No Egyptiananswer
Egypt announced the Canal had been put under was given to the West's invitation to attend a
martial law, and said that any action impeding London conference on international control of
traffic or harming property would be subject to navigation.
penalties. Aug. 6: A government statement accused the West
July 28: Britain blocked all Egyptian accounts in of sponsoring a conference of aggression in pro-
the U.K. in retaliation for Egypt's nationalization posing the London conferenceon Suez.The state-
of the Canal. A Treasury spokesmansaid that the ment said that the dispute should have been taken
order would freeze Egyptian assets of the Suez before the UN.

Egypt announced that she would devote a large countries whose ships used the Canal. The pur-
part of the revenuesfrom the Suez Canal to deep- pose of such a conference would be to conclude
ening and widening the Canal to permit the pas- an agreement"reaffirmingand guaranteeingfree-
sage of the new super-tankersbeing built for the dom of navigation in the Canal."Nasir also stated
oil companies. the IBRD had offered Egypt a $i billion loan to
President Nasir conferred with Soviet and In- improve the Canal or "build a new one."
dian envoys. An IBRD official in Washington said that the
Aug. 7: Egypt accepted an invitation to join the IBRD had never offered Egypt a loan to enlarge
Colombo powers in talks on the Suez Canal crisis. the canal.
The conference would be held in Jakarta, Indo- Aug. I5: President Nasir's chief political aide and
nesia, and would be an alternative to the London head of his Cabinet, Wing Cdr. 'Ali Sabri,flew to
conference. London as an observeron the London conference.
Aug. 8: Egypt indicated she would reject an invita- Cairo police began checkingon the 17ooAmeri-
tion to the London conference. cans in Egypt, as to address,name, date of birth,
Aug. 9: President Nasir announced the formation etc.
of a new National LiberationArmy incorporating Aug. I6: A government-sponsoredstrike in Cairo
the National Guard and youth volunteers under protesting against the London conference lasted
a single command. Maj. Kamal-al-Din Husayn, for 24 hours and brought operations in the city
Minister of Education, was named Commander and in other major Egyptian cities to a standstill.
of this Army. Training of the new Army began The only activity not affected by the strike was
immediately. There was no indication of how the daily convoy passage of ships through the
many recruits were put under military training. Canal.
The Egyptian Cotton Committee in Alexandria The Egyptian Embassyin London said that the
announced a stoppage on sale of its cotton stocks, number of convoyssouthbound through the Canal
effective Aug. 8, to aid farmers in selling their was being reduced from 2 to i a day. It said this
current crop. was due to the fact that a number of foreign
Aug. so: The Egyptian destroyer Ibrahim, which pilots had not returnedfrom vacationsin Europe.
had been refitting in Malta for 3 months, staged The Suez Canal Company said in Paris that
its first sea trials. there was a definite shortage of pilots in the
The Egyptian Embassy in London said that Canal and asserted that Egypt's refusal to accord
Prime Minister Eden's attack on President Nasir entry visas to foreign candidates for pilots' posts
in a speech for causing the Suez Canal dispute during 1955 and 1956 accounted for the shortage.
was "incompatiblewith internationalcourtesyand Aug. I7: Two Soviet ships carryingCzech arms for
responsible relations between governments." It Egypt arrivedin Alexandria.
called the speech an attempt to confuse the issue. Egyptian newspapersreported the organization
The British Board of Trade imposed a virtual of an Arab undergroundfrom the Atlantic to the
embargo on trade with Egypt by advising ex- Persian Gulf "ready to strike against the im-
porters that no payments would be permitted perialist West."
from Egyptiansterling accountsfor goods shipped Aug. I8: President Nasir reaffirmedhis earlier dec-
after July 27. laration that he would not acceptinternationaliza-
Egypt's small arms factories went on 24-hour tion of the Suez Canal.
operation. In other developments,PresidentNasir Wing Cdr. 'Ali Sabrisaid in London that Egypt
postponed indefinitely his trip to the USSR. In would be willing to agree that violation of free
Cairo a group called the Strike Group for the navigation of the Suez Canal would be an act of
Liberation of the MoslemPeople organizeda rally aggressionunder the UN charter.
calling for a general strike throughout Islam on Egypt emphatically denied reports from Bagh-
Aug. i6, the day of the London conference. dad that Egypt had sought the help of Iraq in
The outlawed Muslim Brotherhood was tenta- mediating on the Suez issue.
tively identified as the sponsor of a clandestine The Egyptian Suez Canal Authority announced
Arab radio that has been calling for the ouster of it had dischargeda French administrativeofficer
President Nasir. on the ground that he had failed to report for
Two British employees of the Shell Oil Co. re- work for the past 16 days.
finery at Port Suez were arrestedand expelled by Illicit drugs valued at ? E 500,000 were seized
Egyptian authorities. No reason was given for the at the Sinai border by coast guardsmen.
action. Aug. I9: The commander of the Egyptian Youth
Aug. ii: President Nasir declared that his great ob- Legion, Maj. Ahmad Shuhaib, said he had re-
jective was not just to take over Suez but "to ceived severalapplicationsfrom membersof youth
arouse Arab nationalism." organizations in Communist countries to join
Aug. I2: Egypt rejected the West's invitation to the Egypt's new Liberation Arny if war broke out
London conference. President Nasir proposed in- over the Suez Canal issue.
stead a conference sponsored by Egypt of all Two Britons who had worked for the Anglo-

Egyptian Oilfields Company in the Suez Canal Swinburn, alleged head of the spy ring arrested
Zone arrived in England after having been ex- on that day, had identified 3 other Egyptians,
pelled from Egypt on 24-hour notice. They said Ahmad Salah Badayt, Mahmud Nasr al-Din al-
they did not know the reason for the expulsion. Katani, and Samuel Attia, as membersof the ring.
Egypt announced a group of Egyptian scientists Egypt and Syria signed a trade agreement for
would go to Moscow on Aug. 21 to prepare for Egypt's purchase of ioo,ooo tons of wheat, at
the establishmentof a nuclearlaboratoryin Egypt 20,000 tons a month.
by the Soviet Government,under the terms of an Aug. 29: Egyptian authorities reported that the spy
Egyptian-Sovietagreement for cooperation on de- ring discovered on Aug. 27 was part of a much
velopment of atomic energy for peaceful purposes. larger plot aimed at overthrowingthe Nasir Gov-
Aug. 20: A conferenceof 500 tribal leaders from the ernment. Also arrestedwere James Zarb,a British
Egyptian deserts was held in Cairo. The conferees businessmanin Cairo, Egyptian naval lieutenant
decided to set up 20 battalions of tribal warriors Ahmad Lutfi al-Sayyid Amin, and Egyptian re-
and place them under the National Liberation porter Anton Yacoub.
Army. Each tribe would equip, arm and supply Aug. 3o: Egyptian authorities stated that James
its own battalion. Swinburn, business manager of the Arab News
Deposits of iron ore estimated at 29 million Agency, had given them a full confession to the
tons were discoveredin the Western Desert. effect that he and Charles Pittuck had headed an
Aug. 2I: Finance Minister al-Qaysuni said that his alleged spy ring collecting political and military
Ministry had taken all necessarymeasuresto con- information for British intelligence, under orders
tinue Egypt'scotton trade abroad. from 2 other Britons, 0. B. St. John, and Donald
Aug. 24: The Egyptian destroyer Al Qahar left Cox, before coming into contact with James Gove
England for home, but without ammunition for and John Flux, British diplomats expelled from
her guns due to the British embargo on arms Egypt on Aug. 28.
shipments to Egypt. Britain expelled 2 Egyptian diplomats. They
Egypt declared Adabiyah, 15 km. south of the were Salah 'Abd-al-SalamKafafi, attache in the
Suez Canal entrance, a free port, in answer-to a visa section, and Hamdi MuhammadNassif, com-
request by Indonesia for a free zone for her goods mercial attache. They were the counterparts of
imported into Egypt. the 2 British diplomats expelled by Egypt on
Aug. 25: An agreement was announced between Aug. 28.
Egypt and East Germany for Egypt to import
9o,ooo tons of fertilizer in exchange for Egyptian
cotton. Ethiopia
Aug. 26: Egypt began stamping all outgoing mail (See also General)
with the cancellation slogan, "Free navigation of I956
the Suez Canal guaranteed." July 3o: The M. A. Hanna company of Cleveland,
Statistics published by the Egyptian Customs Ohio began talks with the Ethiopian Government
Administration revealed that 26% of Egypt's ex- towardsobtaining a mining concessionin Western
ports had gone to Soviet bloc countries in 1955, Ethiopia. A team of geologists and mining en-
as compared to 14% the previous year. gineers arrived in southern Ethiopia to begin ex-
Egypt ordered 3 Western reportersto leave the ploratory prospecting,under a concessiongranted
country in 24 hours. No reasonswere given for the to 3 American companies, American Goldfield
order. Two were U. S. citizens, Eileen Travis, a Consolidated Mining, Newmont Mining, and Na-
correspondent for the London Daily Mail, and tomas Company.
Ann Sharpley,a reporterfor the London Evening Aug. i6: Ethiopia participated in the London Con-
Standard;the third was William Stevensonof the ference on the Suez Canal crisis.
Toronto Star.
Aug. 27: Two Britons and an Egyptian were ar-
rested by Egyptian security police and accused of India
running a spy ring dealing in military secrets. (See also General, Afghanistan, Algeria)
They were identified as James Swinburn,manager
of the British-owned Arab News Agency, and I956
Charles Pittuck, a radio-telegraph company offi- June i: India ordered a third oil rig for drilling
cial, and SayyidAmin Mahmud. from the USSR at a cost of RS 4,200,000 (about
Saudi Arabia agreed to loan Egypt $1oo million $885,ooo).
to bolster her hard currency. Bombay police arrested 650 demonstratorsin
Aug. 28: Egypt asked 2 British diplomats at the the city for violating a ban on street processions
Cairo Embassy, John Flux and James Gove, to during Prime Minister'Nehru's visit to the city.
leave the country because they were affiliatedwith The demonstratorswere protesting proposals to
a British spy ring uncoveredon Aug. 27. Egyptian include the city under central government ad-
Information Department officialssaid that James ministration.

June 3: One person was killed and scoresinjured in tons of wheat from the U. S. over a five-year
Bombay in demonstrationsset off by Prime Min- period.
ister Nehru's announcement that Bombay city July 5: Prime Minister Nehru and Pakistani Prime
would be under federal control for 5 years. It Minister Mohammad Ali conferred in London
was the second successiveday of rioting, in which during the Commonwealth Conference on the
1400 were arrested on June 2. Nehru's speech Kashmir issue.
before the All-India Congress Party Bombay July 6: Nehru criticized U. S. Secretary of State
Committee, which set off the rioting, made 4 Dulles and Vice-President Nixon for their state-
recommendationsin regardto Bombay'sfuture ad- ments on "neutralism."
ministration: (i) a common high court for Bom- July 7: A general strike paralyzed Calcutta for 1o
bay City and the proposed Gujarati and Maha- hours. Organized by the Leftist parties, including
rashtrian linguistic states; (2) a common public the Communists, the strike was in protest against
service commission; (3) no barriers between the the government's refusal to recognize West Ben-
gal's claims to a narrow strip of territory in Bihar
people of the city and the surrounding states in
because of linguistic and cultural affinities.
regard to job opportunities; (4) protection of job
July 9: Four Soviet heavy industry experts arrived
rights of present city officeholders.
in India to advise the Indian government on the
June 4: Nehru demanded that the West take a establishment of heavy machinery manufacturing
stand in the Indian dispute with Portugal over
plants.
possession lof Goa. He criticized what he called July I3: Prime Minister Nehru conferred with West
the West's "policy of neutrality"on the issue and German Chancellor Adenauer, and renewed his
SecretaryDulles' statement that Portugal practi- plea for an end to the cold war.
cally "had a right to her colony in Goa." July 15: Nehru put himself on record in support of
June 7: Twelve policemen were injured by Maha- freedom for the Soviet satellite countries. He also
rashtrarioters in Bombaycity. declined to accept the Bonn Government as rep-
Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed,Prime Minister of resentative of all Germans.
Indian Kashmir,said the former Prime Minister, July i6: A communique issued by Nehru and Chan-
Shaikh Abdullah, the "Lion of Kashmir," who cellor Adenauer urged controlled and supervised
was arrested in 1953 and held under preventive disarmament as a means to world peace.
detention, would be released in time for the July 23: Prime Minister Nehru returned to India.
forthcoming elections. July 24: Nehru took over the Finance portfolio in
June 8: Riots in Bombay blocked all trafficfor 7 the cabinet following the resignation of Finance
hours. Thirteen personswere injured. Minister Deshmukh.
June 15: India's Vice-President Radhakrishnanar- July 25: The USSR included 67 tractors in a gift of
rived in Moscowfor a io-day visit. agricultural equipment to India.
June I8: Chintaman Deshmukh, India's Finance Former Finance Minister Deshmukh accused
Minister, resigned because of differences with Nehru of making highhanded, unconstitutional
Prime MinisterNehru over the future administra- decisions in the case of the linguistic realignment
tion of Bombay city. Mr. Deshmukh, a Maha- of Bombay State.
rashtri, felt that the city should form part of the July 27: Police arrested i3oo persons from Bombay,
proposedMaharashtrianstate. Poona, Nagpur and other parts of Maharashtra
June 22: American banker Thomas McKittrick,vis- for demonstrating outside Parliament House in
iting India at the request of the IBRD to study New Delhi against the government's plan to place
Indian economic planning, said that India's plan- Bombay City under separate administration.
ning was sound and would produce results. He India announced it would end the British Gov-
said he expected India to reach her full economic ernment's right of transit for moving Gurkha re-
growth in a century or two. cruits from Nepal into India "as soon as feasible."
June 27: The IBRD announceda loan of $75,ooo,ooo, July 3o: Nehru replied in Parliament to charges
to run 15 years at 43/4% to the Tata Iron and made by former Finance Minister Deshmukh that
Steel Companyof India. The loan was intended to he had acted highhandedly in redrawing state
help Tata expand its steel output from 8oo,oooto frontiers, especially with reference to Bombay. He
1,5oo,ooo long tons a year. It was the largestindus- said he had the right to make policy and denied
trial loan made by the IBRD and the largest in that he had not consulted the Cabinet before de-
Asia. The funds were designed to finance part of ciding on Bombay's status.
Tata's second post-war expansion at its Jamshed- Aug. 2: A total of about 2ooo persons were reported
pur plant, directed by the Henry J. Kaiser En- to have died of cholera in Bihar State during
gineers Corp. July. More than goo,ooo persons received cholera
Canada agreed to contribute $2o,ooo,ooo maxi- shots and 250,000 wells were disinfected.
mum to constructionof a new hydroelectricproj- Aug. 4: Dr. H. J. Bhabha, secretary of India's atomic
ect on the Kundah River in MadrasState. development department, said that India had
June 28: India announced she would buy 3 million started producing atomic energy as of this date.

He added that the energy would be used for Aug. I8: The Indian Embassyin Washington said
radio-isotopes,agriculture, industry and medical that negotiations were continuing between India
research. and the U. S. to permit India to buy $400 million
Aug. 5: Shaikh MuhammadAbdullah, former Prime worth of surplus farm products.
Minister of Kashmir, was ordered detained for The Nizam of Hyderabadtold the Indian Gov-
another six months. ernment he would retire on Nov. i at the end of
Aug. 6: Heavy rains in Saurashtraand West Gujerat his term as Rajpramukh (constitutional head) of
caused extensive damage to property and dis- Hyderabad.
rupted communications.More than io,ooo persons Prime Minister Nehru was hurt in a jeep acci-
were evacuated from Wankaner and Morvi, for- dent near Anjar, in Kutch, the scene of severe
mer capitals of the princely states now incorpo- earthquakesin July.
rated int-oSaurashtraState. Aug. I9: The Gujarat Congressendorsed the deci-
Communist demonstratorsparaded outside the sion to form a bigger Bombay bilingual state.
British High Commission and French Embassy Aug. 25: It was announced that an Indian parlia-
in New Delhi shouting slogans in support of the mentary delegation would visit CommunistChina
Egyptian action in nationalization of the Suez in September.
Canal. A bomb explosion on a New Delhi street near a
Aug. 7: The UN Food and AgricultureOrganization crowded theater killed 4 and injured 3o. It was
announced development of a new method for the third such incident in less than 2 months in
utilizing surplus dried milk to improve living the area around the Jama Masjid mosque, where
standards in underdeveloped areas. The method the residents include both Hindus and Muslims.
will be tried out in Calcutta. India inaugurated shipping service to West
Aug. 8: Crowdsdemonstratedin Ahmedabadagainst Africa.
the action of Parliament in making Bombay a The Upper House of Parliament approved the
separatelinguistic state. They stoned the Congress States ReorganizationBill.
Party'sheadquarters.Police killed 5 and wounded The Gujarat Congress Party headquartersan-
6o in the demonstrations. nounced that MorarjiDesai, Gujarati leader pro-
India decided to attend the London conference testing the formation of the new Bombay lin-
on Suez, but made it plain that she backed guistic state, would end his fast on Aug. 26 after
Egypt'sright to nationalizethe Canal. addressinga public rally in Ahmedabad.
Aug. Io: Rioting continued in Ahmedabad.For the Aug. 29: India and the U. S. signed a food-loan
third successive day rioters clashed with police pact of $36o,ioo,ooo, the largest such agreement
and disrupted trade and industry. One rioter was on record. Under the agreement the U. S. would
killed. ship $305,900,000worth of wheat, rice, cotton, and
The lower house of Parliament approved the other items from agricultural surpluses to India,
States ReorganizationBill. and would contribute $54,200,000 toward freight
Aug. II: The rioting in Ahmedabadspread to other costs. Other facts in the agreement were: India
cities in northern Gujarat. A 48-hour curfew on would pay interest on only $234,ooo,ooo of the
Ahmedabad was lifted, but following 2 hours of total outlay, the interest rates and duration of the
clashes between police and home guards and the loan to be detennined later. However, 65% of the
mobs, it was reimposed. total would be a loan to be used for India's own
Aug. 12: Rioting in Ahmedabad abated, and the economic development. Not less than $ss,ooo,ooo
curfew was lifted. was stipulated for promotion of private enterprise
Aug. 13: A strike called by students and leftist in India; and 15%of the total ($54,ooo,ooo)was to
parties to observe a "martyr'sday" for the i8 be an outright grant for economic development
persons killed the previous week in Ahmedabad, projects. The remaining 20%, $72,ooo,ooo,was to
was broken up by police. All industries in Ahme- be used for U. S. purchases in India and the
dabad remained closed for the fifth successive maintenance of its diplomatic missions.
day. Aug. 29: Prime MinisterNehru announcedhe would
Aug. I4: One man was killed and ioo arrested in visit Saudi ArabiaSeptember24.
rioting in Ahmedabad. Aug. 30: T. T. Krishnamachariwas named India's
Aug. I5: Nehru addresseda crowd at the Red Fort new Finance Minister. He was formerly Minister
in Delhi on the ninth anniversaryof India's in- of Commerceand Industry.
dependence, and called for an end to violence Parliament passed a bill authorizing the gov-
over the redrawingof the country along linguistic ernment to regulate the price, size, and advertis-
lines. ing space of newspapers.
Aug. z6: An Ethiopian delegation arrived in New Aug. 31: The Universityof Delhi conferredthe hon-
Delhi. orary degree of L.L.D. on Chief Justice Earl War-
The government took over operation of the ren, touring India, in token of his anti-segregation
Eastern Shipping Corp. from the Scindia Steam stand.
Navigation Co. President Prasad signed the States Reorganiza-

tion Bill, leaving only a change in constitutional Iraq
provisions naming the states to make the bill offi-
cial. (See also General,Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco,
Pakistan, Persian Gulf, Syria)
1956
Iran June 2: Sayyid Khalil Ibrahim, director of propa-
(See also General, Pakistan) ganda and guidance, said Iraq had decided to
1956 open information officesin several Arab capitals
and in London and Washington.
June 9: Iranian forces took over the Russian Kuryan
June iI: The governmentbanned Ahmed ben Bella,
oil concession 120 miles east of Tehran. leader of the Algerian Liberation Army, from en-
June I8: IBRD president Eugene Black urged Iran tering Iraq.
to slow down its development program and scale Aug. I2:
King Faysal left Britain for France at the
down its plans toward a progressiveincrease in
end of a vacation following his state visit of July.
effort over a period of years, instead of attempting
Aug. 13: Iraqi lawyers meeting in Baghdad called
to do a great deal in the firstyear.
the Western threat of force against Egypt over
June 23: The USSR offered technical aid without
"political and military" strings attached, to Iran. the nationalizationof Suez a clear violation of in-
June 24: General Amanullah Jehanbani, head of ternational law, the UN Charter,and interference
in Egypt's domestic affairs.
the Iranian BoundariesCommission,said that the
Aug. i6: An Iraqi spokesman said that Iraq had
Soviet-Iranianboundary dispute had been settled
made offers of mediation to both Egypt and the
and signs placed at nearly 1go points along the
border to demarcateit. West over the Suez Canal crisis, but the question
The Shah's forthcoming visit to the USSR re- had not been fully settled.
ceived wide publicity in Izvestia. Aug. 17: Acting Undersecretaryof Foreign Affairs,
June 25: The Shah and Queen Sorayaarrived for a
Amin Mumayiz,said the Iraq had not taken steps
state visit to the USSR. to mediate in the Suez dispute, and could not
July 23: More than ioo persons were reported dead, while the London conference continued,
and 11o missing, in floods in Iran's south and Aug I8: Iraq Ministerof Finance Khalil Kanna said
central provinces.Property damage was estimated the idea of an oil pipe line to Turkey to bypass
at $10 million. possible troubled areas in the Levant was imprac-
July 24: The casualty toll mounted to 300 in Iran's tical. He said the main difficultywas the time in-
floods. The Shah declared the floods a national volved to constructsuch a line.
emergency.
Aug. 2: It was announced that Dr. Mohammed Israel
Mossadeq, former Premier of Iran, sentenced to
(See also General,Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco,
3 years of solitary confinement in 1953 for con-
Palestine Problem,PersianGulf, Syria)
spiracy against the Shah, would be released on
Aug. 4. 1956
Aug. 3: Brig. Gen. Taghi Riahi, Dr. Mossadeq'smili- June I: In a new political program published in
tary chief of staff, was released from prison fol- Davar, the official Israeli trade organ, Premier
lowing the end of his jail term; he served 3 years. Ben-Gurion said that Israel would refrain from
Aug. 4: Dr. Mossadeqwas released on schedule. war even if provoked.
Aug. i6: The U. S. flew 56,ooopounds of relief sup- June 8: Premier Ben-Gurion decided not to force
plies into Iran for victims of flash floods. the resignation of Moshe Sharett the Foreign
Aug. I8: Nicolai M. Pegov, secretaryof the Presi- Minister,accordingto reports.
dium of the SuprerneSoviet, was named new am- June II: An Israeli military court sentenced 2 Egyp-
bassadorto Iran. tian commandos to 20 years imprisonment on
Aug. 2I: The Export-Import Bank announced a charges of armed infiltration and recording lists
loan of $5,ooo,oooto Iran to be used to initiate a of military trafficin the Negev.
programof highway modernization. June I3: Israel and Yugoslaviasigned an exchange
Aug. 25: Lafayette College announced that it had agreement of $1' million.
loaned a team of members of its faculty to Iran June 14: Pennsylvania Governor George Leader,
for the academicyear 1956-57to help develop the visiting Israel at the invitation of the government,
new AbadanCollegeof Engineering. was refused permission by Jordan to visit the
Aug. 25: The Iranian oil consortiumreportedan oil holy places of Arab-controlledJerusalem.
strike near Qum, 75 miles south of Tehran, in a June x8: Moshe Sharett, Foreign Minister of Israel
hitherto unproductive area. The flow was esti- since 1949,resigned and was replaced by Minister
mated on Aug. 27 at 150,000barrels a day, com- of Labor, Golda Myerson. Mordecai Namir, sec-
pared with 5o,ooo at Aghajan, the consortium's retary general of the Histadrut (General Federa-
best well heretofore. tion of Labor) became Minister of Labor.

June I9: Israeli Army Chief of Staff Moshe Dayan setting up a program amounting to $500,000 for
was en route to Israel on one of 2 destroyersac- educational exchanges. The U. S. would con-
quired from Britain in 1955. tribute up to $ioo,ooo a year to finance the ex-
Premier Ben-Gurion outlined a forceful new changes.
policy for Israel, but warned against preventive July 28: Prehistoric settlements dating back to the
war. He said the change in the Foreign Ministry Paleolithic Period were discovered in the Negev
from Moshe Sharett to Golda Myersonhad been Desert near the ancient Nabatean city of Abda.
arranged to achieve greater coordination between July 29: Opposition by religious leaders deferred
the Defence and Foreign Ministries.The new pol- the fourth time the issuance of a building permit
icy included: no evacuation of the demilitarized for the proposed AmericanSchool of Archaeology
Sinai border zone so long as Egypt maintains her in Jerusalem.The religious objections came from
aggressive policy; reprisal tactics against future the proposition to hold Sabbath services in the
Arab cross-borderraiders; refusal to accept any school in accordancewith the Reform ritual.
unenforceablesettlement of Arab-Israelirelations; July 30: Tayiba, a border community of 6ooo per-
increased colonizationof underdevelopedparts of sons, became the first Arab village in Israel to
the country. be linked with the national electricity network.
June 20: Israel demanded that the UN censure The chairman of the local Council, Muhammad
Jordan and Syria as armistice violators because al Nashif, called the linkup with the electricity
of the hostile speeches by their representativesin grid an important step in narrowing the gap
the UN SecurityCouncil. between the Arab and Jewish standardsof living
July 3: Israel reportedincreasingdifficultyin buying in Israel.
arms from Western countries. France and Canada AUg. 2: Israel's Foreign Minister Golda Myerson
halted shipments of jet planes to Israel because changed her name to Golda Meir.
of the U. S. delay in authorizing comparable Egypt's seizure of the Suez Canal caused post-
weapons for Israel. ponement on Canada'sdecision on whether or not
July 4: Premier Ben-Gurion strongly criticized and to send a shipment of 24 F-86 jet planes to Israel.
denied a British statement that the balance of Secretaryof State for External AffairsLester Pear-
arms in the Middle East still favored Israel de- son said that the decision would be postponed
spite Communist arms shipments to Egypt. until he could determine the relationship of the
July 6: Ambassador Abba Eban called on the UN Suez situation to that in Palestine.
to follow up his government's complaint that Aug. 7: The Israel Governmentannouncedprovision
Egypt had held up the Greek vessel, Panagia, in of ?150,000Israeli for constructionof a pilot plant
the Suez Canal and confiscated her cargo of ce- by Alexander Zarchin, a chemical engineer who
ment destined for Israel. escaped from the USSR in 1947, to change salt
Julv 15: Two Egyptian colonels who were victims water into fresh in order to irrigate the Hegev
of recent bomb plots were named by Israel's in- Desert.
telligence chief on Oct. 7, 1955, as organizers of Aug. 8: Israel accused Syria of increased military
guerilla raids into Israel. One colonel, Mustafa preparationon the border, and said Syria was de-
Hafiz, was killed in Gaza on July ii by a letter liberately spreading false reports to increase ten-
bomb. sion.
July i7: Israel signed an agreement with the USSR Aug. io: The Agudat Israel Workers Party ended
to buy $i8 million to $20 million in oil shipments its convention in Tel Aviv with an appeal to
over a 2-year period. The method of payment orthodox Jews throughout the world to migrate to
was not revealed. Israel.
The U. S. revealed a program to spend $3,5oo,ooo Aug. I3: Opposition leader MenachemBegin called
in Israeli pounds on 44 cultural, scientific and on the Israel Governmentto abandon its passive
humanitarian projects in Israel. A Congressional policy on the Suez Canal issue, and denounced
appropriation would be required. The program Egyptian President Nasir as Israel's "biggest
was the result of a special mission to Israel made enemy since Hitler."
by Bernard Katzen, a New York lawyer. Among Aug. 14: Israel charged that Egypt had detained io
the projects that would be promoted were es- ships carryingcargoesto Israel.
tablishments of chairs in American studies in Aug. r9: Israel announced that manufacture of
Israel's major universities, construction of cultural "certain items" in her military production had
and community centers in Haifa, Tell Aviv, Naza- doubled and in some cases tripled in the last
reth, and Galilee, translation of American text- 12 months. The number of workers was said to
books and manuals, and English-language teach- have increasedby 35% in the same time.
ing. One of the planks in the U. S. Republican Na-
July 24: The Knesset rejected a motion of no confi- tional Conventionplatform containeda pledge "to
dence in the government's economic policy by 59 support the independence of Israel against armed
to 23. aggression."
July 26: The U. S. and Israel signed an agreement Aug. 2i: An Israeli military court imposed life sen-

tences on 2 Arabs who were describedas members July 25: Mahmud Roussan, a former colonel in the
of an Egyptian-trainedcommandounit. Arab Legion who was sentenced to jail in May for
Aug. 22: A bus strike in Israel suspended service having plotted to seize power in Jordan, was ap-
throughout the country except for Jerusalemand pointed Jordanian Minister and charge d'affaires
Beersheba. The strikers demanded larger fare in Washington. His sentence was commuted by
increases than the government would allow, and royal decree, but his army service was ended.
also opposed Communications Minister Moshe July 29: Britain agreed to supply 12 British officers
Carmel's demands for cuts in the pay of bus to the Jordanian Army as technicians,on loan.
owner-drivers.Minister Cannel asked 2 striking July 3o: The Cabinet released Sayyid Fuad Nasr,
bus cooperatives to state specific terms for the head of the Jordan Communist Party; and de-
nationalizationof their services. ported him.
Aug. 26: Premier Ben-Gurionsaid that peace would Aug. 2: Maj. Gen. 'Ali Abu Nuwar, Jordan's Arab
not be establishedin the Middle East unless Israel Legion Chief of Staff, arrived in Beirut for what
was assured complete freedom of navigation in was describedas a vacation.
the Red Sea strait and through the Suez Canal. Aug. 4: The governmentsuspended the newspaper,
The Israel governmentapproved a modification Al Urdun, indefinitely on grounds it was affecting
of the treason law, defining the types of treason. Jordan's relations with Iraq by attacking Iraqi
Aug. 3o: Israel honored Hank Greenspun,U. S. edi- policy towardsother Arabistates.
tor of the Las Vegas (Nevada) Sun, convicted by Aug. I6: Police broke up Arab demonstratorsin
U. S. courts for gun-running to Israel in i948. Amman attempting to stone the British and
The bus strike was settled with fare increases French embassies during the nationwide general
granted to the cooperatively-ownedEgged and strike in support of Egypt's seizure of the Suez
Dan bus companies, and the drivers to take pay Canal.
cuts of $25 a month. Aug. i8: JordanianChief of StaffMaj. Gen. 'Ali Abu
Nuwar arrived in Damascus for talks with the
SyrianArmy Chief of Staff.
Jordan Aug. I9: Jordanian authorities suspended efforts to
deport Armenian Archbishop Diran Neirsoyan,
(See also General,Egypt, Israel, Palestine accused of having direct contact with the Soviet
Problem, Syria) Armenian Republic.
1956 Aug. 25: Bahjat al-Talhuni, chief of King Husayn's
June 4: The Cabinet reversedits decision of Apr. 30 household, flew to Beirut reportedly carrying a
that Jordan alone should finance the Dead Sea personal message for King Idris I of Libya.
potash scheme. It approved the formation of a Jordan called for a complete revision of the
company with Arab capital; the initial capital U. S. aid program there. Undersecretaryof Econ-
was fixed at i million dinars. omy Hamad Farhan said that money was being
June io: The Jordan and Iraq treaty of friendship squandered.He asked that all administrativeand
was renewedfor 5 years. executive functions be given to Jordanian minis-
June i9: The committee organizingan Arab Work- tries, leaving the U. S. officialswith technical and
ers' Union decided at its Amman meeting to: (i) supervisoryfunctions over particular projects.
open a branch in Beirut; (2) work to create an Aug. 27: Jordan's Chief of Staff said that war be-
Yemen labor union movement; (3) create a spe- tween Britain and Egypt would lead to an inevi-
cial syndicatein Arab countries. table alliance between the Arab world and the
June 3o: The Cabinet of Premier Sayyid Mufti re- USSR.
signed following the dissolution of Parliament the Aug. 28: A Chinese Communist mission arrived in
previous week. Jordanfor talks.
July i: FormerPremierTawfiq Abu al-Huda hanged
himself at his home in Amman. He had been Lebanon
premier several times, the last in May, 1955.
A caretakergovernment was formed by Senate (See also General, Palestine Problem, Saudi Arabia)
President Ibrahim Hashim. Its membersand their
I956
portfolios were as follows:
June 5: All copies of the New York Times for June
Ibrahim Hashim-Prime Minister 2 were seized by authorities from the news-stands.
'Umar Matar-Interior, Defense The newspaper had carried an editorial severely
'Awni 'Abd al-Hadi-Foreign Affairs, Justice critical of Arab policy in Palestine.
Bisharah Ghusayb-Finance, Agriculture The Cabinet resigned over a domestic issue-
Jamal al-Tutunji-Health, Social Affairs
Sayyid 'Ala' al-Din-Economy, Education the purchase of the port of Beirut from a com-
Sam'an Da'ud-Reconstruction, Development pany that operates it on a concession, and over
Communications disagreementon how to spend the ?Lioo million
Anwar al-Nashashibi-Public Works earmarkedfor earthquakes.

Lebanon became the 23rd country to ratify the Aug. 3: The Trans-ArabianPipeline Co. (Tapline)
UN Conventionon the Political Rights of Women. accused the Lebanese Governmentof repudiating
June 6: President Chamoun asked Abdallah al-Yafi, the principle of sanctity of contract.It stated that
after accepting his resignation as Prime Minister, this was caused by Lebanon'snew retroactivetax
to choosea new cabinet. law, which had just gone into effect. It said it
June 8: Premier al-Yafi formed a new government, would not continue negotiations with Lebanon
retaining all former members of the Cabinet ex- on a 50-50 share of profits between Syria,Jordan,
cept al-Bustanyand George Hakim, former Minis- Saudi Arabiaand the company.
ter of Economy.The 2 newcomersto the Cabinet Aug. 9: The Tapline Co. agreed to resume talks
were Alfred Naqqash, Minister of Justice, and with the Lebanese government over increasing
Fuad Ghusn, Ministerof National Education.The Lebanon's profits to 50% on oil passing through
new government won a vote of confidencein the Lebanon.
chamberby 30 to 5, with 2 abstentions.Al-Bustany Aug. 20: The Lebanese Government was reported
remained director of the reconstruction depart- to have prepareda draft of legal measuresto seize
ment. foreign oil pipelines in the event the deadlock
June Io: Lebanonannounced the roundup of a huge over retroactive tax payments was not broken.
spy ring in Beirut and said she was preparing to Aug. 21: The Iraq Petroleum Companygave a new
try more than 20 persons for spying for Israel. twist to the wrangl'eover the new Lebaneseretro-
June 13: A trade and payments agreement was active tax law by declaring a net loss on opera-
signed betweenLebanon and Bulgaria. tions instead of a profit. Accounts submitted by
Parliament refused to ratify a Lebanese and the companyshoweda net loss for 1955of ?6o0,ooo.
Turkish trade agreement made previously after a AUg. 26: President Chamoun opened the Bikfaya
deputy suggested Turkey might export Lebanese water project (near Beirut).
goods to Israel. Aug. 28: The chairmanof a UN commissionadjudi-
June 23: Lebanon announced receipt of a grant-in- cating border disputes between Israel and Leba-
aid of $3,670,000 from the U. S. on the eve of non, French Col. Eugene Communal, was re-
Soviet Foreign Minister Shepilov's visit. Of the ported detained in Beirut, suspectedof smuggling
amount, $3,ooo,ooowas earmarked for construc- information and valuables into Israel.
tion of a highway from Beirut to Damascus,Syria,
and $470,ooo to expand and modernize Beirut's
InternationalAirport. Libya
June 27: Egypt and Lebanon signed a trade agree- (See also Jordan, Tunisia)
ment calling for a free exchange of goods, at the
rate of 81/2?L perCE. 1956
Taxes and municipality customs duties of ?L June 7: The Cabinet ratified the trade agreement
28 million a year were imposed on the IPC. with Egypt.
June 29: Discussionsbegan on technical work for a June ii: Libya asked all foreign missions,including
U. S.-financedhighway from Beirut to the Syrian the U. S. Information Agency, to stop the general
border. The highway would be a 40-mile, 4-lane distribution of all printed materials from their
road, but only the i8-mile stretch from Beirut countries, ban public movies and the holding of
to Sofar figured in the discussions. public meetings or lectures.The action was taken
A bill passed by Parliament at the special re- to protect Libya from a large increasein Egyptian
quest of President Chamoun would abolish retro- and Sovietpropagandaactivities.
actively the tax exemption granted in Lebanon June I7: Premier Mustafa Ben Halim arrived in
to certain foreign business interests. It was aimed London for talks with Britain on the British
primarily at the Iraq Petroleum Co., but would subsidy to Libya, caused by the basing of the
affectsuch other foreign investmentsas the Ameri- ioth armored division there.
can-owned Tapline, the concessionarycompany June I9: Oil exploration in Libya got underway
operating the port of Beirut, the tobacco monop- with the transferof i i membersof the geological
oly, and the DamascusRailroad. Unless returned staff of Ohio Oil Co. to Oasis Oil Co. of Libya,
by the President to Parliament for reconsidera- under terms of its one-third interest in the latter.
tion, it would become law the end of July. July 3: Premier Ben Halim said Britain had prom-
July 7: Minister of State Sayib Salam said Lebanon ised to equip io,ooo Libyan soldiers free.
had accepted a U. S. offer of mediation in a July 7: The Fezzan Legislative Council was dis-
royalties dispute with the Iraq Petroleum Com- solved by royal decree for non-cooperationwith
pany. the administration.
July I7: A military tribunal in Beirut sentenced i6 July ii: King Idris announced he would lend one
persons to prison terms of up to 8 years for spy- of his palaces for use as a new military academy.
ing for Israel. Seven others were acquitted. Aug. ii: Acting Premier Khalil Qallal said Libya
July 2I: India's Prime Minister Nehru arrived in would not permit any foreign power to launch an
Lebanonfor a i-day visit. attack on Egypt from her territory. He said that

Libya had already supported Egypt's nationaliza- June 26: France increased by one-third the ceiling
tion of the Suez Canal. on the number of U. S. Air Force troops permitted
Aug. i6: Police broke up a demonstration in Tripoli in Morocco. The increase was authorized as
and arrested several persons demonstrating in France relinquished her protectorate over Mo-
favor of Egypt's seizure of the Suez Canal. rocco, and after 3 years of French refusal to ac-
Aug. 19: Britain sent a written confirmation to cept U. S. demands for more men in the U. S. air
Libya that she would not use her Libyan bases for bases there.
an attack on Egypt, Premier Ben Halim an- June 24: Mahdi ben Barka, acting secretary general
nounced. of the Istiqlal Party, returned from a trip to
Tangier with Allal al-Fassi, leader of the party,
and outlined with al-Fassi Moroccan claims to
Morocco Mauritania in French West Africa and the
(See also Algeria, Syria) Colomb-Bechar-Tindouf regions of the Sahara.
The 2 leaders also claimed the coastal enclave of
1956 Spanish Sahara. They disputed Algerian claims to
June i: Moroccan Foreign Minister Ahmad Balafrej Colomb-Bechar and Tindouf.
and the Tangier Control Committee agreed to con- July 2: French officials, after a meeting with Mo-
tinue Tangier's present system of local govern- roccan leaders, agreed to suspend further move-
ment operation. ments of French troops following a protest from
June 6: France agreed to let Morocco proceed with Sultan Muhammad V on French troops reinforc-
her establishment of diplomatic relations with ing Agadir in southern Morocco after the kid-
any country although the Franco-Moroccan agree- napping of a French officer.
ment allowing her to do this had not been rati- Five thousand men of the Moroccan Army of
fied by the French Parliament. Liberation joined the Sultan's Royal Moroccan
The first diplomat accredited to Morocco was Army.
Spanish Ambassador Alcover, formerly Spanish July 3. France began to reoccupy frontier posts
Consul General in Rabat. along the Morocco-Algerian border evacuated
June 8: Foreign Minister Balafrej said that the after French recognition of Moroccan independ-
U. S. should negotiate directly with Morocco im- ence.
mediately on the future of American air bases July 4: The government announced that Moroccan
there. troops led by Prince Moulay Hassan would pro-
June io: Foreign Minister Balafrej arrived in Spain ceed to the Agadir Tissinnt region of southern
for talks on the procedure of incorporation of Morocco to take over outposts occupied by French
Spanish Morocco into the rest of the country. forces.
June II: The police dissolved the Cadima, a secret French troops were parachuted into Foum al
society which had been helping Jews emigrate to Hassane near Agadir, contradicting the Moroc-
Israel. can announcement of July 2 that troop movements
Morocco was admitted to membership in the would be suspended.
I.L.O. Iraq Premier Nuri al-Said arrived in Morocco
The U. S. established an Embassy in Rabat and for an official visit.
named its former Consul General, William Porter, July 8: Sultan Muhammad V named Professor 'Ab-
Counsellor and Charge d'Affaires pending the dallah Genoun, a former Minister of Justice in
arrival of an Ambassador. the Spanish Zone, first Governor of Morocco's
June 13: The Union of Civil Servants in Tangier, new Province of Tangier. It was the first step
affiliated with the Moroccan Trade Union Federa- implementing the provisional agreement reached
tion, struck for 48 hours to demand immediate the previous week between the Tangier Interna-
integration of Tangier into the rest of Morocco. tional Zone Control Committee and the Moroccan
June I4: Morocco lifted a ban on collective Jewish Government.
emigration to Israel. July 14: French and Moroccan spokesmen expressed
June I5: Henri Dubois, former French High Com- confidence that they had reached a basis of day-
missioner, presented his credentials as French to-day cooperation between their armed forces.
Ambassador to Morocco. Their agreement was called a "gentlemen's agree-
June i9: French Secretary of State for Tunisian and ment" rather than a formal military accord.
Moroccan Affairs Savary told the advisory council July 28: Riff leader 'Abd al-Karim said in Cairo that
for the republic that the French-American statute Spanish troops were attacking nationals in the
on Moroccan air bases could not be modified Khalifate.
without French consent. Aug. 7: Guards wounded more than 20 Moroccans
June 25: It was announced that provisory credits trying to steal automatic weapons from a French
totalling over 21 billion francs had been estab- barracks in Casablanca.
lished by Morocco for government expenses for Aug. I2: A fund started by Sultan Muhammad V
June and July. to provide relief in stricken areas and stimulate

Morocco's economy was announced as totalling July 2: Eight thousand tons of Soviet rice, the first
i billion francs after 45 days. part of a 40,000 gift, arrived in East Pakistan.
Aug. I4: The office of the Governor of Casablanca July 9: An ordinance promulgated by the East Pakis-
lifted the ban on passports imposed 17 days ago tan government provided prison sentences for
on Moroccan Jews. food thefts.
Aug. i9: The Istiqlal Party criticized Premier July IO: Prime Minister Mohammed Ali arrived in
M'barek Bekkai's government for losing sight of Paris for an official visit.
nationalist goals. Foreign Minister Balafrej, also July I2: Pakistan urged the U. S. to set up a perma-
secretary general of the Istiqlal, said at a party nent "food bank" in Pakistan to fight famine
conclave in Rabat that the government should throughout Asia. Under the proposal the U. S.
undertake a rapid conclusion of economic and would set up a "bank" of i million tons of rice
financial accords and define the status of French and wheat, kept in storage granaries to be built in
interests in Morocco. in East and West Pakistan. The food would
Aug. 20: The Istiqlal Party's National Council asked belong to the U. S. but in time of emergency any
the Executive Committee of the Party to with- country in the region, not necessarily a member
draw its ministers from the coalition government of SEATO, could borrow food from the bank.
in Morocco "in the shortest possible time" and Money from food loans would be used to keep the
undertake consultations with Sultan Muhammad bank's reserve up to the million-ton mark.
V for a new government. No date was set for the July 13: Pakistan agreed to buy 6o,ooo tons of rice
withdrawal. from Communist China.
The Democratic Party asked the Sultan to per- July I9: An Austrian team climbed Mt. Gasherbrum
mit free elections for a representative Assembly. in the Karakoram Range, the second highest un-
Aug. 2I: 'Abd al-Karim, exiled Riff leader, de- climbed peak in the world.
nounced the Istiqlal for what he called its "ma- July 29: President Iskander Mirza held a 3-hour con-
neuvers" to get power. versation with Iran's Shah Reza Pahlevi in Teh-
Aug. 22: A French agency report from Casablanca ran, on "means for strengthening the function of
said that 5500 Moroccan Jews would be allowed the Baghdad Pact.
to leave Morocco soon. July 30: A i-year trade agreement was signed be-
Aug. 3I: Premier M'Barek Bekkai defied Istiqlal tween Hungary and Pakistan.
demands that its ministers resign from the coali- July 3I: U. S. Embassy officials in Karachi said they
tion government. He said that the program of had asked Washington for emergency help to
the Sultan's government necessitated the mobiliza- combat a polio epidemic among Americans in
tion of all the country's efforts. Pakistan; 9 cases were reported, 2 fatal, during
June and July.
Aug. i: Opposition members of the West Pakistan
Assembly in Lahore walked out after defeat on a
Pakistan motion of approval for the nationalization by
(See also General, India) Egypt of the Suez Canal.
Aug. 7: President Iskander Mirza arrived in Kabul
1956 for a 4-day goodwill visit to Afghanistan.
June i: President Iskander Mirza returned the East Pakistan signed an agreement to take $46,400,ooo
Pakistan regime of Abu Husayn Sarkar to power. worth of U. S. surplus agricultural products. The
Pakistan reported that India had reached a deal Pakistan Government agreed to pay Pakistani
with Britain allowing her to buy 6o medium Can- rupees for 19o,ooo tons of wheat, 125,000 tons of
berra bombers, for delivery in 1957-58. Pakistan rice, 5o,ooo bales of long staple cotton, 2,000,000
said the sale was a violation of the Baghdad Pact pounds of tobacco, and 8so,ooo pounds of milk
and of SEATO. and cheese.
June i6: Pakistan, Iran and Iraq agreed to form a Aug. 2I: Prime Minister Chaudry Muhammad Ali
joint shipping company in a conference in Kara- ordered the release of all persons arrested in
chi. The company would be mutually financed Karachi for defying a ban on processions and as-
and would provide coastal service between Pakis- semblies in the city. The arrests had begun on
tan and Persian Gulf ports. Aug. 16 while Karachi workers were on strike in
Abdul Ghaffar Khan, the "frontier Gandhi," support of Egypt's nationalization of the Suez
brother of West Pakistan's Minister Khan Sahib, Canal.
was arrested near Peshawar on charges of cam- Aug. 22: Floods in West Pakistan caused about 70
paigning for a separate Pushtoon state or oppos- drownings. Hundreds were reported missing,
ing the unification of West Pakistan. 170,000 acres of standing crops ruined and an
June 24: Pakistan received 38 F-86 jets for her Air additional 485,ooo acres of farmland went under
Force. water.
June 28: Pakistan signed her first trade agreement India and Pakistan announced a joint confer-
with the USSR. ence to get under way Aug. 24 on problems of

flood control, with particular regard to be paid action of either country were a breach of the
to control of the Brahmaputra River. armistice. Instead, they insisted that the com-
Aug. 23: Premier Muhammad Ali said that if the mission should make a clear distinction between
East Pakistan Chief Minister could not win a aggressors and defenders.
vote of confidence by Aug. 31, the end of the July 2: Cdr. Elmer Terrill, USN, was relieved of his
budget period, the provincial governor would form post as chairman of the Israel-Jordan Mixed
a new government. He said that he had advised Armistice Commission. He was succeeded by
the Chief Minister, Abu Husayn Sarkar, to seek French Col. J. E. L. Costanguay.
a vote of confidence in the provincial assembly. British Foreign Secretary Lloyd said in Parlia-
Maulana Akhtar Ali, head of the Nizam-e-Islam, ment that Israel still held the balance of power
announced the formation of a Nizam-e-Islam Party over the Arabs in armaments.
for West Pakistan. He described an 8-point plat- July 4: Jordan charged that Israel was massing
form for the party. He said that his party was op- troops near the armistice line.
posed to joint electorates and would always sup- July 5: The Arab states mobilized strong forces
port separate electorates for both National and along the Israel frontiers. The UN declared there
Provincial Assemblies. were no indications of an Israel buildup as re-
Aug. 29: Ghulam Mohammed, former Pakistan gov- ported July 4.
ernor-general, died. July 7: Jordanian Army Chief of Staff Maj Gen. 'Ali
Aug. 30: East Pakistan Chief Minister Sarkar and Abu Nuwar warned Britain in a note to the
his Cabinet resigned. British Ambassador in Amman that she must aid
Canada announced a gift of wheat worth $i,- Jordan's defense in case of an Israeli attack, or
250,000 to relieve a food shortage in Pakistan. face abrogation of the mutual defense treaty be-
Aug. 3I: President Mirza suspended the constitution tween the two countries. He also pledged UN
of East Pakistan and personally took over the Truce Chief Maj. Gen. E. L. M. Burns that he
government. would pull his troops back from the Jerusalem
sector if he received first-hand assurances from
the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO)
Palestine Problem that there was no excess of Israeli troops on the
(See also General) other side of the line.
July 9: Two Israeli civilians were killed in ambush
1956 near Ein Hatseva in the Negev, and an Israeli
June 5: Two Israeli workers were injured by Jordan- frontier guard wounded in an attack on a vehicle
ian gunfire in the central Sharon plain in Israeli in Wadi Ara near Umm al Fahm, along the
territory. Jordan frontier.
The UN Truce Supervision Organization an- July IO: Israel Ambassador to the U. S. Abba Eban,
nounced it had completed 12 new observation complained to Secretary of State Dulles that
posts on the Gaza Strip frontier, six on each side. Egypt was increasing her blockade of Israeli ship-
Egypt complained that 2 Israeli jets had vio- ping in the Suez Canal.
lated Egyptian air space at Gaza. Israel Foreign Minister Golda Myerson called
June 6: Israel said today in a formal complaint to UN truce chief Burns to a conference to complain
the Mixed Armistice Commission that Jordan about continued Jordanian violations of the cease-
had established a detachment of her troops on fire agreement.
Israel's territory. The Jordanians withdrew when July il: Maj. Gen. Burns said that in his opinion
challenged, the complaint added. Israeli Premier David Ben-Gurion had threatened
June 7: Israel and Egypt made mutual charges of armed retaliation against Jordan. He made this
truce violations. statement when informed that Ambassador Eban
June 22: Israel reported Egyptian gunfire on po- had denied the Ben-Gurion statement.
sitions in the Kissufim area. Jodran lodged 6 complaints with the Mixed
June 24: A clash between Israeli and Jordanians Armistice Commission over Israeli planes flying
occurred near Qalqilya, in Jordan, and Nir over her territory.
Eliyahu, an Israeli settlement 12 miles from Tel July 12: The World Jewish Congress protested Arab
Aviv. There were conflicting reports of the casual- efforts to boycott Jewish concerns in Europe and
ties. the U. S.
June 26: Lebanese leaders were unsuccessful in at- July I3: Israel charged an Egyptian attack on Kissu-
tempts to make visiting Soviet foreign Minister fim settlement in the Gaza strip by 8 raiders.
Shepilov declare himself definitely in favor of the July I5: Jordan walked out of the Mixed Armistice
Arab countries in the Palestine question. meeting after the commission had approved a
June 28: Israel's "tougher line" was displayed in paragraph in a report on border incidents chiding
meetings of the Israel-Jordan Mixed Armistice Jordan for having failed to prevent infiltrators
Commission. Israeli delegates refused to accept from cossing into Isael.
the normal MAC practice of determining whether July i6: Jordan lodged 2 complaints with the MAC.

Egyptian positions on the Gaza Strip fired into sion found Jordan guilty of aggression in the
the Israeli outpost of Kissufim 3 times, Israeli incident in which Jordanian infiltrators threw a
spokesmen reported. There were no casualties. hand grenade into an Israel children's home July
July I7: Jordan returned to meetings of the Mixed 23.
Armistice Commission, ending a 2-day walkout. July 3r: Egypt accused Israel of violating Egyptian
Israel protested to the Security Council that air space in Gaza. The report said 2 Israeli planes
Jordan had stepped up border attacks aimed at violated the space and were driven off.
Israel's main arteries of communication. Aug. 2: Jordan said 2 Jordanian National Guards-
July ig: UN Secretary General Hammarskjold con- men were killed in a clash with an Israeli patrol
ferred in secret with Israeli Premier Ben-Gurion in the Beesan area east of Bardala village.
for 5 hours. The Mixed Armistice Commission condemned
July 20: Hammarskjold ended talks with Ben- Israel for the flight of a military plane over
Gurion. A joint communique issued indicated Jordanian territory on July 25. The Israeli dele-
that the talks had been fruitful toward keeping gates voted against the resolution on grounds that
peace in the Middle East. Hammarskjold an- there was no proof the plane was a military one.
nounced he would fly to Amman, Jordan. UN Secretary Hammarskjold said "a will to
July 2I: Hammarskj6ld held talks in Amman with peace" still existed in the Middle East despite re-
Jordanian leaders. cent violent incidents along the Israel border. He
July 22: UN Secretary Hammarskjold held secret said he had not been consulted on the nationali-
talks with Egyptian leaders, including President zation of Suez, but that in some circumstances
Nasir. international control of certain important water-
An Arab-Israeli exchange was reported near ways under the UN might be good.
Jerusalem. Aug. 3: Maj. Gen. Burns, Chief of UNTSO, con-
July 23: Hammarskjold said in Cairo that the Arab- ferred with Egyptian leaders in the Gaza Strip on
Israeli ceasefire was "in good working order." He ways of easing tension.
left Cairo for Switzerland. Aug. 6: An Israeli military court condemned an
Israeli Premier Ben-Gurion demanded an ac- Egyptian member of a suicide squad to death.
counting from Hammarskjold on the attitude of The prisoner had been caught on Apr. 5.
Jordan toward implementing the ceasefire agree- The 264th meeting of the Israel-Jordan Mixed
ment. Armistice Commission produced a Jordanian
July 24: Two UN observers and a Jordanian officer charge against Israel of violating the armistice
of the MAC were wounded by a mine on Mount agreement Aug. 2.
Scopus, an Israeli enclave inside Jordan. Israel Aug. 7: Jordan charged that Israel had assembled
claimed they had entered an "old" Israeli mine- the equivalent of a full division of troops plus
field after refusing Israeli escort protection. artillery in the Jerusalem area.
July 25: Jordanian villagers attacked a UN observer Syria complained to the Security Council that
team near Jerusalem and seriously wounded Israel was maintaining a regular police force and
Swedish Col. Thalin. The attack came after an regular uniformed troops in a demilitarized zone
Israeli-Jordanian exchange of fire which re- and was digging fortifications, in violation of the
portedly wounded 1o Jordanians. armistice agreement.
July 26: UN Secretary General Hammarskjbld sent Aug. I2: Israel charged that Jordanian infiltrators
a new appeal to Israel and the Arab countries to attacked a patrol in the Lachish area. There were
enforce the ceasefire agreement. no casualties.
Israel notified the Security Council that she Aug. I5: The Arab Legion said that antiaircraft guns
would stop presenting resolutions of censure to had fired on 3 Israeli Meteor jets violating Jordan
the Mixed Armistice Commission concerning Arab air space in the Jenin area.
attacks. She said the resolutions had had little Aug. 17: Nine Egyptian soldiers were killed in 2
effect on securing implementations of even ad- incidents in the Gaza Strip, according to the
verse verdicts of the Commission against Jordan. UNTSO. Israeli newspapers carried bitter attacks
July 27: Two Israelis were wounded in the El on Egypt and Jordan for breaking the truce.
Auja demilitarized zone, and the convoy escort- Jordan denied that her troops were responsible
ing American arachaeologist Nelson Glueck was for the ambush of an Israeli bus on Aug. i6 in the
fired on. In another incident 2 Israeli guards were Negev, in which 4 Israelis were killed.
wounded in an exchange or fire at the Shelach UN Secretary General Hammarskjold appealed
kibbutz. for an end to acts of violence on the Israeli-Arab
July 30: The Jordan Defense Ministry said that the borders, for the second time in 2 days. He also
Arab states would ask the UN to replace Maj. commented on the responsibility of those "who
Gen. E. L. M. Burns as head of the UN truce either started or prolonged a chain of disturb-
supervisory mission in Palestine. It accused the ances."
General of bias in favor of Israel. Aug. i8: Jordan charged an invasion of her terri-
The Israeli-Jordan Mixed Armistice Commis- tory by 4 Israeli soldiers in a jeep, and lodged a

complaint with the Mixed Armistice Commission.

One Israeli soldier was reported killed.
Saudi Arabia
Aug. 2o: The Mixed Armistice Commission urged 1956
Jordan to prevent raids into Israel by Arab ma- June 2: A spokesman for the British Foreign Office
rauders, such as the Aug. i6 bus ambush. declared in London that the British Ambassador
Aug. 2I: Israel reported the death of one soldier in in Jiddah was holding discussions with the Saudi
a skirmish with Jordanians along the demarcation Government in order to draw up an agenda in
line southwest of Umm-al-Fakhm. preparation for scheduled talks between Britain
Aug. 24: Two Israelis were wounded in a clash with and Saudi Arabia for solving all the outstanding
Egyptian troops in the Negev, in the Kisufim problems between the two countries.
area. June 3: A Saudi Arabian Government spokesman
Aug. 29: The UN Mixed Armistice Commission cen- denied that his country would recognize Com-
sured Israel for a violation of the truce agreement munist China or establish diplomatic relations
in a skirmish with Jordanian troops Aug. 26. with Soviet Russia.
Aug. 3o: Two Israeli soldiers were killed and 3 June 9: The budget of the Ministry of Education
others injured when 3 land mines blew up a vein Saudi Arabia for 1955-56 was listed as SR
hicle in the demilitarized zone along the Sinai 50,ooo,ooo. A Royal Order stated that SR 20,-
border. ooo,ooo would be spent on education in the
Aug. 3I: Egypt charged that 13 of her soldiers were southwestern areas of the Kingdom, on educa-
killed in 3 simultaneous Israeli raids across the tional projects and on anti-illiteracy campaigns.
armistice demarcation lines, and filed a complaint June i8. The Director of the International Bank for
with the Mixed Armistice Commission. Reconstruction and Development, Mr. Eugene
Egypt commissioneed the Israeli freighter, Bat Black, arrived in Riyadh on a special Saudi plane.
Galim, only vessel ever to attempt to pass through June i9: The U. S. and Saudi Arabia agreed to ex-
the Suez Canal flying the Israel flag, into her tend the Dhahran Airbase Agreement to i8 July
navy. The Bat Galim was seized in 1954. 1956, pending the outcome of negotiations going
on at the present time between the two coun-
tries. The Agreement expired on 18 June 1956.
PersianGulf June 20: A Royal Order was issued strictly prohibit-
1956 ing the entry into Saudi Arabia of Saudi cur-
June ii: Amir Salman bin-Hamad al-Khalifa, ruler rency whether Saudi (gold) pounds or silver riyals
of Bahrayn, ordered a complete boycott of Israel. or pilgrims' receipts.
Bahrayn was the first Arab country outside the The Lebanese Minister of State and Chairman
Arab League to join the boycott. of the Ministerial Oil Committee, Sayib Salam,
June io: The ruler of Kuwait, Sir 'Abdallah al-Salim arrived in Riyadh for talks with the Saudi Gov-
al-Sabah, flew to Iraq to see King Faysal and dis- ernment on the Tapline offer to share the oil
cuss the Shatt-al-Arab water supply project, in- royalties between Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan
volving the laying of a pipeline from the mouth and Lebanon.
of the Tigris and Euphrates in Iraq to Kuwait. June 2i: The discovery of -oil in a wildcat well on
Aug. i4: Sir Charles Belgrave, British political ad- the Persian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia was an-
visor to the ruler of Bahrayn, announced his renounced by the Arabian American Oil Company.
tirement. He said that he believed his retirement The wildcat, known as Kharasaniyah Well No. i,
would ease political tension in Bahrayn. is located approximately 8o miles northwest of
Aug. i6: Security forces dispersed a crowd in Kuwait Dhahran.
town. About 1oo persons suffered minor injuries June 26: The Govemment issued a decree against
and 12 were hospitalized. strikes, with severe penalties including unlimited
All principal shops and private offices were banishment for violators. The decree barred work
closed in protest against the London conference stoppages under agreement by 3 or more persons,
on Suez. demonstrations and lockouts and the use of vio-
At Doha in Qatar a crowd was reported to have lence or coercion to cause work stoppages.
stoned the British Political Agency building. July 5: The Ministry of Communications announced
Aug. I9: The Socialist daily newspaper Al-Ra'i extensive road projects in the Kingdom in ac-
Al-'Am said that 7 persons had been killed and cordance with the Order of the President of the
257 injured in demonstrations in Kuwait. It said Council of Ministers No. 7262/1, dated 30 June
demonstrators had clashed with armed Badawin 1956.
tribesmen. July IO: A group of Muslim pilgrims left Moscow
The British Foreign Office said it had no knowl- today by plane for the Hijaz on the pilgrimage.
edge of anti-British demonstrations in Kuwait. Among the Russian pilgrims were the Imam of
Aug. 22: A clash was reported between members of the Grand Mosque of Moscow and other Muslims
the Mazari tribe of Oman and British forces. One from the Asian Republics of the USSR.
Arab was reported killed and several injured. July 26: The U. S. informed Saudi Arabia it would

not pay rent for its Dhahran air base. It stated June I7: The trial of 13 persons accused of murder
that inasmuch as the base was maintained for the in the "black hole" incident at Kosti in February,
mutual benefit of the host country and the U. S. 1956, began.
it did not feel the rent would be appropriate. June 20: The first consignment of Egyptian arms for
July 27: His Majesty King Sa'ud held talks with the the Sudanese Army arrived at Port Sudan.
West German Minister to Saudi Arabia, Baron June 25: A police officer and 9 soldiers were sen-
Oswald von Richthofen, and a number of heads tenced to 2 years imprisonment by the Supreme
of big West German companies in Jiddah. Court at Kosti for their part in the Kosti inci-
Aug. i: His Royal Highness Amir Faisal, Crown dent; 3 others were acquitted.
Prince of Saudi Arabia and President of the June 26: A new political party, the Democratic
Council of Ministers, stated that the resolutions People's Party, was formed with the support of
adopted at the Brioni Conference agreed with the the Khatmiyyah sect of 'Ali al-Mirghani. Its mem-
interests of all the people of the world. Amir bership consisted of 21 deputies and 14 senators
Faisal further stated that the decision of the formerly members of Premier Isma'il al-Azhari's
British and U. S. Governments to withdraw from National Unionist Party. Its program called for
assisting in financing Egypt's High Aswan Dam continued independence, a constituent assembly
project was not in the interest of these two to be formed to draft a permanent constitution,
countries. raising the standard of living, and in foreign
Aug. 8: The Director General of the Hijaz Railway policy, peace, neutralism, and support for the
announced in Damascus that the bid to prepare resolutions of the Bandoeng Conference.
studies for the restoration of the Hijaz Railway July 5: The House of Representatives elected 'Ab-
between Damascus and Medina was granted to dallah Khalil, secretary-general of the Ummah
an American company, "International Resources Party, Premier of the Sudan. His sole opponent
Engineering and Exploration Group." was former Premier Isma'il al-Azhari. The vote
Aug. I5: Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Shaikh was 6o to 32.
Yusuf Yasin met with President Nasir for 45 July 7: A new coalition cabinet was formed by
minutes today. After the meeting he said he had Premier Khalil, as follows:
"no news" of reports that Saudi Arabia's King
Sa'ud had threatened to cut off Western oil sup- 'Abdallah Khalil-Premier, Defense Minister
Ibrahim Ahmad-Minister of Finance and
plies in his Kingdom if Britain and France used
Economy
force against Egypt. Muhammad Ahmad Mahjub-Foreign Minister
Aug. 23: The Ministry of Finance and National Ziyada Arbab-Minister of Education, Minister
Economy in Saudi Arabia announced that it of Justice
would send a number of Saudis on scholarship Mamun Husayn Sharif-Minister of Communi-
to the International Statistics Center in Beirut, cations
Lebanon, to train in statistics for a period of 61/2 Amin al-Tum-Minister of State
months beginning 25 October 1956. Mirghani Hamza-Deputy Premier, Minister of
Aug. 24: A Payments Agreement was signed be- Agriculture and Irrigation
Hammad Tawfiq-Minister of Commerce, In-
tween the Sudanese and Saudi Governments in
dustry and Supply
Khartoum. The Agreement was for a period of six Muhammad Hilmi abu- Sen-Minister of Social
months and was renewed at the expiration of Affairs
exery six months period. Muhammad Nur al-din-Minister of Local Gov-
Aug. 25: The Saudi Government paid to the Jor- ernment
danian Ministry of Economy 125,0o0 dinars as the Amin al-Sayid-Minister of Health
share of Saudi Arabia in financing the Jordanian 'Ali 'Abd al-Rahman-Minister of Interior
Arab Potash Company for extracting salts from Benjamin Lwoki-Minister of Public Works
Gordon Ayyoum-Minister of Animal Hiis-
the Dead Sea.
bandry
Alfred Borjouk-Minister of Mineral Wealth
Yusuf al-Aghab-Minister of State
Sudan Aug. i: Sudanese demonstrated in Khartoum in
(See also Saudi Arabia) support of Egypt's nationalization of the Suez
1956 Canal.
June 7: Wholesale merchants in Khartoum began a Aug. 9: Trial began for Stanislas Paysama, former
4-day strike in protest against profit-fixing on Minister of Mechanical Transport, at Waw. He
certain goods. was charged with subversion in advocating a
June 9: The Cabinet approved the recommenda- federal form of government for the South Sudan.
tions of the ministerial committee set up to draft Aug. Il: Stanislas Paysama was sentenced to i8
a permanenWtconstitution for the Sudan. months imprisonment.
June I I: The Sudan was admitted to the I.L.O. Aug. I8: Supporters of the National Unionist Party
The 4-day strike of Khartoum merchants ended. staged demonstrations in various towns in pro-

test against the government'sdecision to circulate countries from Indonesia to Morocco; and dis-
banknotes bearing the signature of former pre- cussed the issues of Palestine and Algeria.
mier al-Azhari. June 23: Premier Sabri al-Asali conferred with So-
Aug. 26: Sayyid'Abd al-Rahmanal-Mahdi,leader of viet Foreign Minister Shepilov but was unable to
the Ansar religious sect, arrived in Cairo for get public Arab backing against Israel from him.
medical treatmentand talks with President Nasir. June 29: The Lebanese Parliament decided to tax
the Iraq Petroleum Co., hitherto exempted from
taxes, after disagreementon the dues to be paid
to Lebanon.
Syria July I: The Syrian Government recognized Com-
(See also General,Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, munist China and decided to exchange diplo-
Palestine Problem, Saudi Arabia, Turkey) matic representationwith it.
July 4: The Syrian Chamber of Deputies voted to
I956
abolish passports between Syria and the Arab
June 2: Syria announced she would establish diplo- countries on condition of reciprocity.
matic relations with Tunisia and Moroccoat the July 5: Parliamentunanimously approved plans for
embassylevel. a committee to negotiate with Egypt for a fed-
Students occupied the Syrian Ministry of Na- eral union of Egypt and Syria.
tional Economy and asked for prohibition of ex- July 7: The Syrian Chamberof Deputies approved
portation of cereals to France and Algeria. a draft law considering Palestinians living in
The Ministry of Sa'id al-Ghazzi in Syria re- Syria as Syrian in regards to appointment, work
signed. and military service; they would keep their orig-
June 6: Resigning Premier al-Ghazzi was asked to inal Palestinian citizenship.
form a new cabinet. July II: The commanderof the Syrianpolice and 7
June 8: A Syrianwas killed by Turkish troops firing members of the dissolved Nationalist Party were
at sheep smugglers near Ain al-Arab. arrestedfor distributing propagandaleaflets.
June Io: Lutfi Haffar, named as premier on June 2 July r6: The abolition of passports between Syria
after the fall of the al-Ghazzigovernment, aban- and Jordan was put into effect.
doned his efforts to form a new cabinet. July 24: Thirty-five Syriansreleased by Turkish au-
June II: Syriaprohibited grain exports to Francein thorities complained of ill-treatment.
protest against the latter's Algerian policy. July 28: The spokesmenof the different Syrianpar-
June 14: A Syrian ministry was formed by Sabri al- ties stated their support of Egypt in the national-
Asali as follows: ization of the Suez Canal Company.
July 30: A Syrian was killed and 3 injured in 2
Sabri al-Asali (Nationalist Party) Premier and Turkish mine explosions on the Turko-Syrian
Finance border.
Muhammad al-'Ayash (Democratic Bloc) Min-
ister of State July 3i: Syrian officialsdenied reports Syria would
Majd al-din al-Jabri (Nationalist)Public Works nationalize oil properties.
'Abd al-Baqi Nizam al-Din (Democratic Bloc) Aug. I: Syrian and Jordanian officials began con-
Health ferences on an economic and customs union an-
Ahmad Qanbar (People's Party) Interior nounced as a project in June.
Rashad Jabri (People's Party) Agriculture The SyrianState Bank was inauguratedand the
Mustafa Zarqa (ConstitutionalBloc) Justice Currency and Credit Administration transferred
Salah al-din Bitar (ResurrectionSocialist Party to the SyrianGovernment.
"Ba'th")Foreign Affairs
Khalil Kallas (Ba'th) National Economy AUg. 2: President al-Quwwatli presented his resig-
'Abd al-Hasib (ConstitutionalBloc) Defense nation to his Cabinet because he refused to sign
the death warrants of 3 Syrian Nationalist So-
The new ministry was called a national minis- cialists implicated in the 1955 assassination of
try representing all parties and formed on the Chief of Staff Malki.
basis of enforcing the national pact laid down by Aug. 4: PresidentQuwwatliwithdrewhis resignation
all parties a month earlier. on conditions that no more executions be car-
June i8: A national holiday in Syria was called to ried out for complicity in the Malki assassination.
celebrate the evacuation of foreign troops from Aug. 5: Syria and Jordan announced an agreement
Egypt. on economic unity, which would give citizens of
June 2o: The Iraq Petroleum Co. gave Premier al- both countries equal rights to work, residence,
Asali a check for ?S 2,500,000 in part payment for freedom of movement,etc. The 2 countrieswould
outstandingclaims of ?S 8,5oo,ooo. form a unified customsarea.
June 22: Foreign Minister Shepilov of the USSR Aug. Io: Syriaannouncedshe would exchangediplo-
arrived in Damascus for an official visit. matic relations with Communist China at the
The Pan-Islamic Conference opened its meet- embassylevel.
ing in Damascus with delegates from all Islamic Aug. I3: Syria said that in the event of "Western

aggression" against Egypt over the Suez dispute Tunisia

she might not be able to prevent sabotage of oil
(See also Syria)
pipelines.
Aug. I4: The Syrian Arab committee organized a 1956
mass meeting in Damascus for the support of
June 4: Salah ben Youssef, Tunisian rebel leader,
Egypt.
was named commander of the Tunisian Libera-
Aug. i6: Workers at the Iraq Petroleum Company's tion Army which opposes Premier Bourguiba's
T-2 pumping station near the Iraq frontier government.
stopped the oil flow when they joined demon- June iI: Tunisia was admitted to membership in
strators parading in the main towns of Syria and the I.L.O.
Lebanon in support of Egypt's nationalization of
June I5: France and Tunisia signed an accord con-
the Suez Canal. firming Tunisia's independence in foreign affairs.
A general strike took place in Syria on the There were 4 articles to the accord: (i) mutual
occasion of the London Conference. exchanges of ambassadors, who would have a
Aug. I7: King Husayn of Jordan visited Damascus "special" status; (2) French agreement to represent
for talks of a political and military character in Tunisia in countries where Tunisia had no rep-
which he is joined by Jordan Chief of Staff. resentation, if Tunisia so wished; (3) French sup-
Aug. I9: Defense Minister Raslan said that Syria, port of Tunisian candidacy for the UN and sim-
Egypt and Saudi Arabia had agreed to extend ilar international bodies; (4) consultation and ex-
permanent financial aid to Jordan's National changes of information on matters of mutual in-
Guard to equip it against the "Israeli threat." terest prior to the drawing up of a formal treaty
Turkey and Syria signed an agreement to ease of cooperation.
frontier tension. It would permit farmers from June I6: The British Consul in Tunis, P. C. Pell,
either country to enter the territory of the other was named first charge d'affiares to independent
to gather their crops, and set controls over lands Tunisia.
cultivated for narcotics. Agreements were also June I9: Salah ben Youssef, exiled Tunisian nation-
reached covering extradition and smuggling con- alist leader, left Italy by plane for Cairo at the
trol. suggestion of the Italian police. Ben Youssef had
Aug. 2o: Both regular Syrian and Turkish Army been permitted to enter Italy for medical treat-
forces withdrew from the common border and ment on the condition he refrain from political
were replaced by security and police units. activity; however, he issued a violently anti-
Five Druse civilians were executed in the al- French statement on June i8.
Kanaytra military zone south of Damascus, for June 22: The Bey of Tunis reduced his civil list,
aiding the enemy." which supported members of his family and re-
A cultural agreement was signed between Syria tainers under the French protectorate, by a de-
and the Soviet Union by the Syrian Minister of cree reducing his royal allowance from 420 million
Education and the Soviet Deputy Minister of francs to i8i million francs.
Culture. June 24: Premier Bourguiba paraded his Tunisian
Aug. 25: Seven Bulgarian geologists arrived in army before French and allied officials and pro-
claimed Tunisia's solidarity with Algerian rebels.
Damascus. "Algeria Week" began in Syria, for
June 26: Bourguiba declared he would not sign an
collecting money to help the Algerian nationalist
alliance with France while the Algerian war
movement.
continued.
Aug. 26: The Syrian Minister of Economy left for
July 4: The Tunisian Government rejected French
Egypt to conclude the sale of ioo,ooo tons of protests about Arab-language broadcasts on Tunis
Syrian wheat to Egypt. Radio attacking French policy in Algeria. Tunisia
A section of the members of the Cooperative protested against the French halting and search-
Socialist Party united with the Nationalist Party ing of Libya's Ambassador to Tunis.
and a new committee was chosen for the Damas- July 9: France approved in principle U. S. wheat
cus branch of the Nationalist Party. shipments to Tunisia.
Aug. 27: Syrian, Jordanian and Lebanese delegates July I3: Tunisian representatives broke off talks on
met in Damascus and decided on a unified atti- Franco-Tunisian cooperation. Vice-Premier Bahi
tude over the equi-distribution of oil revenues Ladgham gave as his reason for the breakoff the
from the Tapline Company among them and unfriendly attitude of the French Council of the
Saudi Arabia. They accepted in principle the Republic and the tough speech of French Foreign
offer of Tapline to share its profits equally with Minister Pineau before the National Assembly on
the four states. July 12. The Council of the Republic, advisory
Aug. 3o: A Czech economic mission headed by Dep- Upper House of the Assembly, voted 164 to 132
uty Minister of Industry Yavorik arrived in Da- to cancel i6 million francs in economic aid to
mascus. Tunisia for 1956, on grounds France was getting

"meager" cooperation from Tunisia since her in-
dependence on March 20.
Turkey
(See also General, Cyprus, Iraq, Syria)
July I4: Premier Bourguiba threatened to renew
fighting with the French unless French troops I956
were withdrawn from Tunisia. The statement June 7: The National Assembly approved a new
followed one by French Foreign Minister Pineau press law by a vote of 297 to 51, on the first sec-
that French forces intended to remain in Tunisia tion of the bill, and 274 to 48, on the second. The
and Morocco to seal off help for Algerian rebels. law provided prison sentences of i to 3 years for
July 17: The Tunisian delegation which broke off "publication of false news which would curtail
negotiations with French officials on Franco- the supply of consumer goods or raise prices or
Tunisian cooperation on July 13 returned to cause loss of respect and confidence toward au-
Tunis. thorities." It also established prison sentences for
July i8: Tunisia made formal application for mem- foreign correspondents who might send "exag-
gerated" news from Turkey likely to cause the
bership in the UN.
Government to lose prestige. It set up educational
French troops in the Tunisian frontier town of
standards for newsmen and gave the Government
Moulares discovered a group of armed Algerian
the right to suspend newspapers publishing "false
rebels in uniforn, and killed 2. Tunisian Vice-
news" for a period of 3 months.
Premier Ladgham protested to French Ambas-
Former President Ismet Inonu accused the Men-
sador Seydoux against a "violation of Tunisian
deres Government of "gagging the press."
sovereignty." June 9: Turkey informed Britain through diplo-
July 26: The Security Council approved Tunisia's matic channels that she disapproved of the earlier
application for membership in the UN, after the British offer to Archbishop Makarios of self-
French representative on the Council, Louis de government for Cyprus and was "concerned"
Guiringaud, had assured the members that Tu- about a possible change of sovereignty on the
nisia was a fully sovereign state. island.
President Eisenhower named G. Lewis Jones, June i9: Foreign Minister Fuad Kopriuld resigned
a career diplomat, as the first U. S. Ambassador from the government.
to Tunisia. July 3: General Sir Gerald Templer, chief of the
July 28: Former guerilla chief Zellag, a follower of British General Staff, conferred in Ankara with
Salah ben Youssef, was hanged in Tunis. Turkish Premier Menderes on general Turco-
Aug. so: Several new decrees were announced as British relations.
forthcoming in Tunisia's new "social revolution" July 4: The Grand National Assembly lifted the
by Premier Bourguiba. The decrees would abolish immunity of 4 opposition deputies who had
polygamy, fix the minimum marriage age for walked out of Parliament on June 27 during a de-
girls at 15 and free Tunisians over 20 from any bate on the government's bill to limit political
obligation to obtain parental or guardian's con- meetings. No members of the 3 opposition groups
sent before marrying. In future, the Premier said, were present at the meeting.
divorces would be granted only by a tribunal, and July 5: General Templer said in Istanbul that a
after full attempts at reconciliation. strong Turkey was vital to Britain and the free
Aug. 14: The Bey of Tunis signed the law abolish- world. He did not disclose the discussions with
Premier Menderes held the previous day, but ad-
ing polygamy in Tunisia, and placing in effect
mitted they included Cyprus.
other decrees described by Premier Bourguiba on
Aug. io, as of Jan. 1, 1957. July 8: Parliamentary groups representing the 3 op-
position parties, the Peoples Republican Party
Aug. I9: Azouz Rebai, Tunisian Secretary of State
and the Freedom and National parties, attacked
for Youth and Sport, returned from a visit to
the governing Democratic Party for what they
Cairo with an invitation for Premier Bourguiba called recent steps toward totalitarianism. The
to visit Egypt.
attack, the first united one in Parliament on the
Aug. 26: John de Lavallee, a French industrialist, government, was in response to the stringent press
told the Moral Rearmament movement that it law, the deprivation of 4 Republican Parliament
had helped avert war between France and Tu- members of their immunity to arrest and prose-
nisia. He said to the movement, meeting on cution, and other "natural rights."
Mackinac Island, that Mahmud Masmoudi, Tuni- July i2: Turkey stated she would not consider any
sian Minister of State, had adopted the principles proposal for discussion of the Cyprus problem be-
of Moral Rearmament, thus enabling negotiators fore terrorism had been eradicated.
to work out a peaceful solution of differences. Premier Adnan Menderes said that Turkey's
Aug. 29: France agreed to turn over to Tunisia stringent new press law and the law on public
French-built and operated radio installations in assembly were strictly internal matters.
Tunis. July I4: Turkey and Yugoslavia signed a one-year

$20 million trade agreement. The agreement was protested to Britain over the alleged bombing on
$5 million less than the one signed in 1955. June 3 of a Yemeni customs post by RAF planes.
July 17: Premier Menderes rejected a Soviet bid The British Foreign Office said the government
made on June 6 urging Turkey to follow Moscow's had no information on the matter. It added that
lead in reducing its armed forces. In his reply to the British Charge d'Affairesin Taiz, the present
Soviet Marshall Bulganin, Menderessaid that he capital of Imam Ahmad, had been instructed to
hoped efforts would be continued through the protest an incursion into the Beihan area of Aden
UN Disarmament Committee toward general re- Protectorateby a large number of Yemeni tribes-
ductions in armies and armaments. men.
July 25: Two British airmen reported missing from June Io: The Crown Prince of Yemen, in Cairo,
Cyprus were held by Turkish authorities after said that his visit to the USSR was in the hope
they landed at Golcuk in southern Turkey. of establishing trade between Yemen and the
Aug. I9: Premier Mustafa ben Halim of Libya ar- Soviet Union.
rived at Istanbul on a state visit. Deputy Foreign Minister al-Amary said in
Aug. 23: Premier Menderes took over the post of Cairo that Aden would gain independencesooner
Finance Minister, succeedingNedim Okmen, who or later despite British opposition.
resignedAug. 22. June II: The arrival of The Crown Prince was de-
Aug. 24: Fifty-fivepersons were drowned in a flash scribed by Pravda as "proof of the growing ties
flood in the villages of Celik Han and Kahta in and cooperation between the Soviet Union and
eastern Turkey; there was extensive property the . . . Arab East."
damage. June 13: Britain rejected Yemen's claim to Aden
Aug. 25: The death toll from the flash flood reachedProtectorate.
75. June 14: The Yemeni representative to the UN
The Ministry of Economy and Commercean- accused Britain of "repeatedaggressiveacts" over
nounced allocation of TL 32,203,300 in foreign Yemeni territory,in violation of the 1934 Anglo-
exchange to buy goods from Czechoslovakia. Yemen treaty and the UN Charter.
Aug. I6: Stricter border controls in the Hatay, June 20: The Yemeni legation in Washington ac-
Gaziantep, Urfa, Mardin, Sirt, Hakkari,Van, and cused Britain of repeated border violations along
Atri areas were announced by the Ministry of the Aden-Yemenborder, and of trying to impose
Commerceand Economy,in a move to strengthen a federal union on the 9 Yemen cantons adjacent
the anti-smugglinglaw. to Aden Protectorate.
Turkey and Czechoslovakia signed a trade June 3o: Yemen and East Germanysigned a trade
agreement. and paymentsagreement.
Aug. 7: Kasim Gulek, leader of the Opposition Re- July I2: Yemen accusedBritain of sending a force of
publican Party, was taken into custody under the 200 armed troops and vehicles to the border at
anti-demonstrationlaw. Noman near Beihan.
AUg. 2I: Yemen recognized Communist China.
Yemen
(See also Aden, Saudi Arabia)
1956
June 8: The Yemen legation in London formally


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Developments of the Quarter: Comment and Chronology

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ARAB NATIONALISM AND THE CRISES

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Soviet CommunistParty leader Khrushchevsaid Abba Eban, Israel's UN representative,wamed

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June 15: Two members of the French Cabinet told

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complaint with the Mixed Armistice Commission.

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aggression" against Egypt over the Suez dispute Tunisia

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