1959-01-10 — Page 6

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 1959.

SUEZ

A FOWIT ON 1.BE-TOLD REFORÍ

THE NA

by Randolph Churchill

管理

I maintain the people of Britain have never even

guessed just how completely unprepared we were

and its

COLONEL NASSER announced on July 26, 1956, that Egypt intended to

nationalise the Suez Canal. The Canal would be Egypt's annual 100-million-dollar revenue would be used for building the great Aswan Dam. He told a-deliriously excited crowd in Alexandria:-

"We shall build the High Dam on the skulls of 120,000 Egyptian workmen who died in building the Suez Canal. We shall industrialise

Egypt and compete with the West. With the revenue from the company for their 70,000,000 dollar grant

we shall not look to Britain and U.S.A.

가

ever,

affair,

strice

con-

For many years there had ing bunded by the Americans, judgment in this been a project to build a High the decision t to help with during the Second World War

Aston Diner eine

had been largely as a he Dam at Aswan tu conserve the the

Combined with

Staf waters of the Nile. In December dreadful shock. Nasser, how- cerned

Indeed, only two 1955 the Americans and British

about hk revenge planning. 21

the belere

operation offered loans to help buikt. colly and purposefully, and the weeks

Sir Anthony The American offer way with detailed planning for the take- actually began, drawn on july 19, 1950: the over of the Canal by Egypt was transferred Sir Walter Monckton British offer was withdrawn the skilful and compréhensive. to the sinecure of Paymaster-

General and replaced him next day.

the Ministry of Defence with Mr Head.

To the Egyptions, who had been growing accustomed to me

The actual figure was to. Ne toubt Naser obtained is deure of 320,000 from the works of Herodotos, who wi Arserting ur ballding rasu in Egypt-in Fla

of souther

B.C.

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Sir Anthony Eden acted swiftly and firmly when con- fronted with Nocser's challenge.

Convinced

It may seem strange to insist when horses swopping

After

with late-night falks Maisters and Service chiefs he was on the telephone to Paris, on and after Lord Home had seeni about to

attack a canal. but

the High Commissioners for Eden doubtless has convinced dr Commonwealth countries. himself That he hnd good

Sir Anthony went to the House reasons for the change.

of Comments to make a sinte ment in resolute forms.

Inner men

It in Important at this stage

to underline the fact that,

whether at the War Office of

During the period of the at the Ministry of Defence, Suez erisi, on Inner Cabinet

{ developed of a far more fomal Head

character than is nomot in time

of prace,

tcara An exceptional

political and military respon

This can be justified on the ability for the planning and ground that Sir Anthony was execution of the planning war, and it is obvious tion.

and plang

within the

that his intentions

should be confined

smallest circle po

"e.

The Inter Cabin appears to [havò consisted, apart fr4n the Prime Mhuster. of Mr Selwyn floyd, the Foreign Secretary, Mr R. A. Butler. Lord Privy

Suez opera.

In France, as in Britain, the responsibility of leadership of the Suez operation was left to Inner Cabinet of just a very few.

Newcomers

All the French Inner Cabinet

Seal, Mtr Haro Macmillan, deferred greatly throughout the Chaareller of the Exchequer, planning stage to the ideas and

and Lord Salisbury, 'Lord Presi jrient of the Council.

wishes of Sir Anthony Eden. Except for Mollet, they were all newcomers to politics. Most of were them had come to

The Desistance movement,

The Chiefs of Staff "frequent attendiers” and

by reinforce-

TUESDAY:- Two Grave Blunders

the Outset!

at

thing from five to nine days to Brilish forces stationed in the elapse between embarkation country. and assault.

of the

In Libyn the terms In Cact, the button had to be Anglo-Libyan treaty made it

fact pushed 10 days before results qulie plain that military could be obtained, un agonising lies would. not be extended to period of suspense, well calcu- Dritain when there was a dis- latel to

3 pui severe strain puta with a member of the Arab Sir

Eden's League. -upon

Anthony

nerves.

Overlooked

So even if the paratroops had been available the possibility of in airborne drop would have been dismissed by the strategists who had made it a rule that air- borne

must Fandinga reinforced overland within hotirs.

This was

been underline

be

24

This stale of military un preparedness was staggering

and humiliating,

Alerted

With hasty improvisation the Services tried to make good their deficiencies. The Mediter- *torican fleets of Britain and

to assemble at

lesson that had France began

for

British arious ports with orders to Army soldiers

Some nt Arnhom. British prepare to sell. planners seem, however, to have this in Britain were, as early overlooked an important distinc. as July 31, alerted to move at tica that at Arnhem we were 24 hours' notice, confronted by Germans, where- But no troops were moved as a! Svez our enemy was of from Britain until August 7.

somewhat 1c martial

character.

But

сти

when units of Avo Infantry battalicas, a cavalry regiment, anti aircraft heavy even if the manpower, two and time had been available regiments, and two light anti- there was not the shipping 16 barked for Cyprus and Malta on

aircraft regnents were convey troops to Egypt for a seaborne landing. Particularly ship and by air. lacking were LST for arbour.

the

I

The unpreparedness of Once again British political the Armed Forces left the and strategic judgment had

been found wanting.

A hostage

base

Government little choice but

to engage in a series of pro- tracted diplomatic negotia-

In tions.

The new air Cyprus-which was supposed to replace the basco in the Suez arca, was, ag at the time of the. Jordan affair five months before, still incomplete and imprepared. The airfeld at Akrotiri had not boen completed, and the mobile reserve had not

materialised,

Canal followed there in immediately after the seizure on toric points along the Britain and France for such an strategic secns that Mr Antony Head, Thorselves incking experience of the Canal_ revealed that ments from seaborne troeps,

affairs,

the Secretary of State for War of the conduct of great was more often summoned to they naturally held Sir Anthony there existed not the deliberations of the Inner Eden, who had Cabinet than was his superior effice throughout Sir Walter Monckton. the

| Minister of Defence.

even a plan

occupied high

for the reoccupation of the the war, in esterm great

trad the Canal Zone. and highest respect for his jucky-

This was partly because Sir ment. Waiter was not in good health,

The and partly becaue, though Mc Head was not in the Cabinet,

to 4 the Prime Minister came to have a great reliance upon his

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Equipment

emmiteel

to

that

operation.

The proepeets for emilcar Without those, Cyprus could were not improved by the fact

seaborne assault force only be a hostage to fortune would have to be mounted, ht However,

of it quickly became best from Molta, as worst frem instead

a bastion and a apparent that the airborne Algiers and Marseilles, bocause troops of both Britain and the British authorities had Pringboard. (This is one of the seemingly

were France Chiefs of Staff got off incredible facia, with

increasing number of which Bio Algeria

the ground duties in Cyprus and elected to prepare Cyprus as a proper base. This meant any- Inquiries render must prepare himself to parachute training and equip When we bad

bad left the Saez Canal area in 1955 the Cabinet and the Chiets of Blant deelded not to

deep-water harbotic Cyprus, as it would be too expen- sivo. its cost could hardly have been as great as what Britain h had to pay

since the Suez catre trophe.

start.

cope as the tale unfolds.)

Burriedly they prepared inventory of what forces would

an

mont.

Nor was

be available for such an opera-

and lacked recent

there sufficient air bald

The aze and Fall of Str Anthony Eden, by Randolph Lion. They planned an operation transport readily availablo In Churchill, published by Mae known as Humilear, which pro the Middle East Gibbon and Reg, 215.

vided for au alrbori, landing

MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN

GOLLY-- NEVER SAW SUCH A HOT, FIRE--!

THE WHOLE BUILDING BURNED RICHT DOWN

TO THE GROUND--TO, ASHES-NOTHINO,

LEFT--

BRICK BRADFORD

I'LL PROBE WITH THE EXTERIOR TENTACLES OF MY BUBMARINO).

AMAZING-- NO ONE WAS HURT--

YOU TWO WERE IN THERE--ANY IDEA WHAT HAPPENED?

THE LIGHT PLAYS TRICKO ON

YOU DOWN HERE, THG COULDNT),

BE THE NONE CONS, IT IB

MORE LIKE A SATELLITE!

or even

By Lee Falk and Phil Davis

SOME SORT OF SHORT-CIRCUIT

IN THE WIRING-

WHAT KIND AN EMPLOYMENT OF FIRM

AGENCY. WAS IT?

NEXT JUST IMAGINE!

IT'S COVERED WITH BARNACLES. I CAN SEE THAT

NOW!

By Paul Norris

IT COULD DEA BATELLITE) THAT WAS LOST NTHİD | AREA DURING TESTS,AJARK IT AND GET ON WITH THE. SEARCH FOR BRICK).

Jordan and Libya, on which Eden had counted when he espoused the evacuation of the Suez Canal base in 1954, were equally uselesa.

not

In Jordan + Governement

to Britain was friendly likely to allow an increase in

SHEAFFERS SNORKEL

AUSTIN

for

LOADS

CROSSWORD

ACCOSK

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4. Wander. (0)

10. Enraged in andgram. (1)

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14. Dog. (0)

17. Laquiery, (4)

18. I'd action prized up. (8)

30. Carries 13. (5)

20. Qusrain forca, (8)

21. Cabedian animal (3)

23. Canaler. (01

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1. Ona sember of 20 Adross, (5.8)

Leg (3) 3. indaceable,

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6. Unusua1, (4) RE

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13. Gray awku● NONOCDE

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conveyor. (LEVODO

1. Accone

41 DRA

Corridor

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Interde tutum

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