1950-12-12 — Page 5

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1950.

British Defence Planning In No Go-It Is

Middle East

London, Dec. 11.

British diplomacy is advocating broadening of Western defence arrangements in the Middle East, with other interested powers, including Egypt, sharing Britain's responsibilities.

Two alternative plans are being suggested here to meet the growing demand for fortified Western strategic posts in the Middle East. In the light of the Anglo-Egyptian conflict over the British-controlled Suez Canal base, they are:

CYNICAL

VIEW OF

VYSHINSKY OFFER

Lake Success, Dec. 11. Highly reliable American sources said today that Rus- sia has offered assurances that Chinese Communist troops will be withdrawn from Korea if Peking is given an equal voice in the settlement of Formosa's- future.

These sources said the as- surances were given by Rus sia's Foreign Minister, Andrei Vyshinsky, to Roberto Urdaneta, of Colombia, chairman of the United Nations General As- sembly's main political com- mittee, at a private dinner at the Soviet delegation's official residence last Friday.

The disclosure of this Soviet attitude câme together with reported assurances from Com- munist China that its troops will not cross the 38th parallel. Mr Vyshinsky is reported to have told the Colomban: "For- mosa is the critical issue, not Korea." He said Moscow could not order Peking to pull its

1. Creation of an Anglo- Egyptian joint defence council to share full responsibility for the Canal base and defence of Egypt,

2. Extension of the..North Atlantic Pact to Egypt by offering the latter associate membership and a link, together with Turkey and Greece, with ne Mediterranean group of the Pact, which includes Britain, France and Italy.

3. This alternative envisages joint participation in the Middle East defence system by powers who have a vital interest in keeping Russia out of the Indian Ocean, This group would in- clude, in addition to Britain and Egypt and other smaller Middle Eastern powers, six of the British Dominions,

Behind these. considerations is mounting anxiety over the "vacuum" in Middle Eastern defence. the United States, insists that Britain, supported by British Canal

withdrawal from the

tantamount to an invitation to Zone now would be

Soviet aggression. Strategists

Middle say that the

East-a glittering prize in itself be- cause. of its vital oil supplies and communication routes-

become might

a back door through which Russia may be tempted to infiltrate and cut through a Western. lifeline.

EGYPT'S FAILURE

drawal from

By demanding British with is

the Suez, Egypt

of accused failing

to

troops out of Korea because realise these potential dangers

"the Chinese People's Govern- ment is a sovereign government on its own," but made it clear, Latin American sources said, that Russia would assure a withdrawal of Peking's troops.

The first reaction of Western

observers to the Vyshinsky Urdaneta conversation was that it was another "blow in the Kremlin's attempt to split the United States and her Western allies on the Far Eastern' ques- tion.-United Press.

US Fleet Games

Off Sicily

Augusta, Sicily, Dec. 11. The 45,000-ton American air- craft carrier, Coral Sea, and several other ships of the United "States Mediterranean Fleet sailed into this East Sicilian port today.

to the West and to herself.

These are the broad outlines of the discussions between the Foreign Secretary, Mr Ernest Bevin, and the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Mohamed Salah el Din, which opened here. a fortnight ago and. are to be continued next Friday after a week's break for consultation.

Officially, little has transpired from the hours-long.talks of the two Ministers, both sides being anxious not to prejudice pros- pects of an understanding by premature publication of still existing differences.

British diplomacy is anxious

To Stay

A newspaper in San Gemignano, Italy, recently reported that a wealthy American tourist had purchased one of these world-famed medieval towers in the town to ship to Illinois. But the plans fell through when authorities refused him an export licence.

Korea Executions: Kyushu Tragedy:

MP's Demand For British Protest

London, Dec. 11.

Mr Tom Driberg, Labour Member of Parlia- ment, today called on the Government to protest to South Korea at the shooting of 56 political prisoners.

Mr Driberg said in the House (A Reuter's news message of of Commons that the prisoners | Dec. 6 said that the atrocity were shot by South Korean was carried out by Korean police without trial at Sariwon, civil police at Sariwon in North North Korea, on or about Korea. They were not further December 6..

identified).

Mr Ernest Davies, Fordign Under-Secretary, replied that those responsible for the incident were North Korean guards.

"The incident occurred in North Korea. The question of representations to the Govern- ment of the. Republic of Korea does not, therefore, arise," he added.

Mr Davies said that he had

T

ARMY RESPONSIBLE

Mr Davies said: "These North Korean guards were acting on behalf of the Unified Command. Since this incident I understand that the American military police have disarmed those res- ponsible for this."

25 Feared Dead

Tokyo, Dec, 11.

Fourteen persons were drowned and 11 others were missing when 箍 725-ton cargo boat capsized in the sea north west of Kyushu Island on Sunday night.

was

Rescuers picked up five survivors and 14 corpses.

Hope for the remainder of the 30-man crew slim. The cause of the disaster was reported by ships in the vicinity as high seas.Reuter.

Detective

Opens

search.

Fire

A detective on patrol this morning shot and wounded. a suspicious character who re- Mr Sydney Silverman (La-fused to stop to

submit to a bour) suggested that as the in- cident took place in North

the

Rhee Syngman Korea

of South Korea to reach a solution by way of been assured that investigations Government compromise. It has remained

responsibility. were being made by the Civil Would have no strictly opposed to: all-out Assistance Authority of

That would the

lay directly with evacuation of the base,, claim-Unified

the United Nations Command. Command, who were ing strategic support of its refusal.

considerations in doing their best to trace those North Korean guards were act- Mr Davis replied: "Yes, these

responsible.

ing for the Unified Command.”

-Egypt has made it plain that They were said to be proparing nothing short of British evacua- for exercises between Sielly and tion will satisfy her ultimately, Malta to test the co-ordinated Joint defence moves are pro- action of planes and ships. A posed as a way out of the total of 19 vessels, including dilemma-ás a middle course heavy and light cruisers, air-solution between continued Bri- craft carriers, destroyers andtish control of the Suez Canal torpedo boat chasers was ex-base and outright evacuation.-- pected to take part-Reuter. United Press,

NANCY

OH, JERRY

Oh, Dachsh!*

LOOK--- I BOUGHT A

SWEATER FOR

MY DOG

Mr Driberg suggested that the Minister had been misinformed

he when,

said that North Korean guards were respon- sible, because, the account which appeared in various newspapers. "an eye-witness account from the Reuter correspondent who was on the spot

at the time."

was

ppp.

---Reuter:

Yugoslav Amnesty

Belgrade, Dec. 11. Yugoslavia is to free 177 poli- and tical prisoners in Bosnia. Herzegovina under a Govern- ment amnesty, Belgrade Radio announced tonight. Reuter

By Ernie Bushmiller

I HAD TO BUY

TWO OF THEM

The detective observed two men acting in a suspicious man- ner beside a parked car about 5 a.m. He called to them but they took flight. The Police who officer followed the two separated after running a short distance. The detective con'-. tinued his chase after one and again called on' him to stop. He refused to take warning and the detective fired and injured the man, named Man Pui-fai, in the leg. Man was taken to Kowloon Hospital and his con- dition was described as serious.

Sola

Agents

not-

Don't let

this HARPEN

to you!

USE

Fitch's

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NAN KANG CO

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