Appalling Events

With anxiety and bewilderment, the world watched an appalling eruption of trouble.

In Hungary a gallant, leaderless rebellion against Russia's iron rule gave promise of success--until Russia turned its retreating tanks around and set out to crush the revolt.

Israel, taking advantage of Russia's difficulties (and taking for granted U.S. preoccupation with a presidential election), invaded Egypt.

Great Britain and France, aggression-bound, moved in, determined to overthrow Gamal Abdel Nasser and recover the Suez Canal.

War in the Middle East gave Russia the chance to muffle the sounds of its own savage conduct in Hungary. With bland cynicism, it lectured Britain and France on aggression, proposed joining with the U.S. in fighting Egypt's invaders (a proposal the U.S. called "unthinkable"), and talked of using "force to crush the aggressors" in the Middle East. 'Bulganin went further: he asked Britain how it would feel "if she herself had been attacked by more powerful states possessing every kind of modern destructive weapon" and added that "there are countries now" that could do the job from a distance by "means such as rocket technique."

In alarm, the Swiss government invited five nations--the Big Four and India--to hold an immediate summit conference to avert the danger of a third world war.

The possibility that Russia might rush into the Middle East--perhaps in response to Colonel Nasser's appeal for "volunteers"--gave urgency to the efforts of peacemakers. The U.S. and Britain and France got back together again, after a week in which the U.S. and its two principal allies were tragically apart. They were drawn together by the need to meet the common threat from Russia.

Tuesday at midday, eight days after the Middle East war began, U.N. Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold announced that Britain and France had agreed to a ceasefire. The gunfire might cease, but the unpleasant aftermath would be with the world for a long time.

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