Present:

• The Prime Minister (Mr. St-Laurent) in the Chair,
• The Minister of National Health and Welfare (Mr. Martin),
• The Secretary of State for External Affairs (Mr. Pearson),
• The Minister of Justice (Mr. Garson),
• The Minister of Public Works (Mr. Winters),
• The Minister of Veterans Affairs and Postmaster General (Mr. Lapointe),
• The Minister of Finance (Mr. Harris),
• The Minister of National Defence (Mr. Campney),
• The Leader of the Government in the Senate and Solicitor General (Senator Macdonald),
• The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (Mr. Pickersgill),
• The Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources (Mr. Lesage),
• The Minister of Transport (Mr. Marler),
• The Secretary to the Cabinet (Mr. Bryce),
• The Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet (Mr. Martin).

INTERNATIONAL SITUATION; MIDDLE EAST; HUNGARY;
POLICY AT UNITED NATIONS
(PREVIOUS REFERENCE NOV. 1)

1. The Secretary of State for External Affairs reported on the latest developments in the Middle East situation. The United States intended to introduce two resolutions in the U.N. General Assembly over the weekend to establish committees at once, with mandate to settle the Palestine question and the Suez Canal dispute. He thought that by themselves, these proposals did not go far enough as there was no provision for the constitution of a police force to prevent fighting until settlements were reached. Pending the setting up of such a force on a long-term basis, the combatants should be requested to accept the stationing between them of limited police forces organized immediately under U.N. auspices.

The United Kingdom and France had said they would suspend their military intervention provided a truce force was established and Egypt and Israel agreed to having such a force to keep the peace. If the U.K. and France would agree that the force should include detachments from other countries and all be landed under a U.N. military command, there was a good possibility that the General Assembly would give substantial support to such a plan. The chances of success would not be great, however, if the U.K. and France landed in strength and there was heavy fighting.

2. Mr. Pearson said that, as regards Hungary, the Russians were now re-occupying the country and were showing the true character of their régime. The action of the British and French in the Middle East was all the more deplorable in that it prevented the free world from taking a united stand, which would probably have had much Asian-Arab support, against this naked aggression.

3. The Prime Minister noted that a contribution to a U.N. police force in the Middle East would require Parliamentary support. Although long-term arrangements might not be worked out for some weeks, it might be desirable to summon Parliament soon if Canadian forces were to participate in any police action to be authorized in the near future.

4. The Cabinet noted the reports of the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for External Affairs on the situation in the Middle East and Hungary and the policy suggested for further meetings of the United Nations.

. . .