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Butler, though he has established a useful position for the future, is still in no position to challenge Eden for the leadership, knows that he would lose if he did. Said one Conservative old hand: "You must understand how strong is the spirit of unity among Conservative leaders. We remember how much damage has been done by splits in our leadership—Fox and Pitt, Peel and Disraeli. The only reasonable way for Butler to express such differences as he may have with Eden is within the party, within the government. That way, he may have some influence and only that way. Why should Butler do anything else? He has time."
History Lesson. At the moment, in fact, Eden's standing is probably higher in his own country than it is in the rest of the world, which by and large has returned a massive verdict of disapproval. Not the least of that disapproval stemmed from the palpably hypocritical versions of history Eden has disingenuously tried to foist on the world.
¶ Eden's first announced purpose in invading Egypt was to 1) keep the belligerents apart, 2) protect Suez shipping from the threat of Israeli invasion. In fact.
Britain's twelve-hour ultimatum demand ed that the Egyptians, but not the Israelis, retreat 100 miles from their own frontier.
British forces neither engaged the attacking Israelis nor drove them back; instead, they bombed and assaulted the defending Egyptians.
¶ Eden pleaded that faced with Israel's sudden action the British and French had to act too swiftly for "the inevitably cumbrous processes" of the U.N. But the British had known of the Israelis' in tentions earlier, with France doing most of the dirty work in linking the three nations in conspiracy (TIME, Nov. 12).
¶ Eden pleaded that Britain wanted to keep the canal open. The day of Israel's invasion a record northbound convoy of 36 ships moved through the canal. By the time British-French troops landed, the canal was blocked and will be for "several" months.
¶ Eden argued later that Britain had acted only on behalf of the U.N. But the U.N. protested the British action 64-5. Vice Admiral Pierre Barjot, deputy allied commander, was more blunt in acknowl edging the allies' true motive: "Soldiers, sailors and aviators," he declared in an order of the day, "at the moment when you were about to enter as conquerors of the principal city of the Suez Canal, a cease-fire was ordered. But your efforts and your courage have wiped out the affronts."
¶ At week's end, Eden's government was propounding a new line: Britain had intervened to foil a Russian plot to take over the Middle East. Said President of the Board of Trade Peter Thorneycroft: "We intervened to stop the war, and we have perhaps stopped it in the nick of time before the Egyptian air force, organized by Russia, ran amok in the Middle East." Eden's Foreign Office had apparently not had the political word. The Foreign Office told inquiring reporters that stories of massive Russian moves came from Russian propaganda, which was systematically exaggerating what Russia has done or will do for its Arab friends.