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dated June 20, 1956: New era in Egypt's history

The Egyptian flag was hoisted over Navy House at Port Said by the country's Prime Minister, Lt. Col. Nasser on June 18 to mark the end of Britain's 74 years of occupation of the Suez Canal Zone. He smiled broadly as he performed the ceremony marking the beginning of four days of festivities to greet this new era in Egypt's 6,000-year history. Navy House was the last installation in the Canal Zone to be occupied by the British forces before their departure last week. Lt. Col. Nasser proclaimed Egypt free and independent to the frenzied acclamation of the people and the shrieking of sirens from ships of many nations in the port. Guns, silenced since a British bombardment in 1882, boomed as part of the ceremony. Lt. Col. Nasser said in his speech, "We stand neutral in the East-West struggle. We will wage war against imperialism, atomic bombs, racial discrimination and intervention in the internal affairs of other countries." The Egyptian papers marked the evacuation with banner headlines and bulky special editions, reviewing the progress of nationalism since the 19th century.

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