Soviet-US naval confrontation likely

Cairo: The possibility of a naval confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union appeared on the horizon today with reports of additional Soviet warships bound for the troubled West Asia.

Turkey announced yesterday that it had given permission for 10 Russian ships to pass from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean within the next eight days. Under international treaty Turkey permits warships to transit the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles in time of peace.

The announcement was coupled with a renewed warning from Moscow that any aggression from the US or Israel in West Asia would meet not only the united force of the Arab States but also the resolute opposition of the Soviet Union and all peace loving States.”

The Moscow warning printed in “Izvestia” which speaks for the Soviet government, was similar to a Soviet statement issued on May 23.

The Soviet government turned down a French proposal to hold a FrenchBritish-Soviet-US conference on the West Asia crisis, official sources in Paris reported yesterday.

The commander of the powerful US Mediterranean Fleet said yesterday that the US intends to keep international sea lanes open and has what he called several open-ended military options to achieve that mission.

Vice-Admiral William Martin did not elaborate. However, he said his 6th Fleet, more powerful than the 15 to 20 Russian ships now in the Mediterranean, plus the expected additional Soviet ships, are awaiting instructions from Washington.