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dated August 18, 1956: US proposal on Suez

The US Secretary of State, Mr. John Foster Dulles, presented to the 22-nation conference on the Suez Canal a plan supported by Britain and France for the establishment of an international authority to control the finance, operation, maintenance and future development of the canal. Inaugurating the conference in London on August 16, the British Premier, Sir Anthony Eden, expressed confidence that good results would emerge from it. Mr. Dulles proposed that the Suez Canal be placed under the responsibility of an international council established by treaty and associated with the UN. Egypt would be represented on the council and no nation would have a dominating position in it. He set forth four principles which should underlie the internationalisation of the canal. These were: (1) The canal should operate as a free navigable waterway in accordance with the terms of Article 1 of the Constantinople Convention of 1888. (2) Its operation should be independent of any national political action, whatever its origin. (3) An equitable revenue should be assured for Egypt. (4) An equitable compensation should be paid to the Universal Suez Canal Company. The proposed international council would have to decide the amount of revenue from the canal which should be paid to Egypt and the compensation to be paid to the former canal company. Egypt has rejected the Western-sponsored plan for an international board to control the Suez Canal. Wing Commander Aly Sabry, President Nasser's Chief Political Officer, who arrived in London by air after the first day's session of the 22-nation conference, said Egypt would insist on acceptance of her terms for a settlement. "President Nasser would not have an independent authority for the canal. We insist we shall have sole rights of control of the canal. If force is applied, we shall defend ourselves," he declared.

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