EGYPT: Suspended, Not Ended

After three months of mutually suspicious parleying, often held together only by the unflagging good temper of U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Jefferson Caffery, Britain and Egypt last week fell out over the Suez. They decided to suspend their talks—but not to end them. Actually, their many original disagreements had been narrowed to two: ¶ Egypt’s demand that the 4,000 British technicians (slated to stay on for 5½ years after 80,000 British troops leave, in order to train Egyptian replacements) wear civvies; Britain insists that they stay in uniform.

¶ Egypt’s insistence that Britain’s right to reoccupy the base apply only in cases of direct land assault on an Arab state. Britain insists that it might also be invoked if the U.N. should declare that a global war exists.