White House Statement Concerning Bipartisan Meeting on the Suez Canal.

President EISENHOWER met today with the bipartisan Congressional leadership for the purpose of reviewing the Suez Canal situation. The meeting was attended by the Vice President; Secretary of State Dulles; Arthur Flemming, Director of the Office of Defense Mobilization; Admiral Radford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Gordon Gray, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs; and the following Senators and Representatives:

Senate Senate

Democrats Republicans

Senator Lyndon Johnson Senator William F. Knowland

Senator Earle C. Clements Senator Styles Bridges

Senator Walter F. George Senator Eugene D. Millikin

Senator Theodore Francis Green Senator Leverett Saltonstall

Senator Richard B. Russell Senator Alexander Wiley

Senator H. Alexander Smith

House House

Democrats Republicans

Speaker Sam Rayburn Congressman Joseph W. Martin, Jr.

Congressman Carl Albert Congressman Charles Haleek

Congressman Thos. E. Morgan Congressman Leslie C. Arends

Congressman A. S. J. Carnahan Congressman Leo allen

Congressman Robert B. Chiperfield

Congressman John M. Vorys

Congressman Dewey Short

The President expressed his appreciation for the attendance, at considerable inconvenience, of the Members of Congress present. He said he considered their attendance as important in view of the London Conference on the Suez matter, scheduled to be convened on August 16th with the United States as a participant.

The President and the Secretary of State then reviewed the situation and the actions taken thus far by the United States to deal with it, and the preparations for the London Conference. Mr. Flemming described the bearing of possible events in the Middle East upon the petroleum situation.

The President and the Secretary of State pointed out that in view of the acceptance by 22 of the 24 nations invited, the Conference will offer the opportunity for reaching a peaceful and equitable solution, in accordance with the concepts of the 1888 governing Treaty.

They made clear that the United States will attend with the purpose of contributing to such a solution with the objective of safeguarding the interests of those dependent on the Canal as well as recognizing the legitimate interests of Egypt. We are hopeful of such an outcome.

They stressed, however, the continuing gravity of the situation and the difficulty in achieving a constructive solution.

There was a general, vigorous discussion. All recognized the importance of dependable operation of the Canal as a major artery of world traffic.