February 22, 1958
UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC: Cairo, 21 – For the second time in the history of Egypt and Syria, the two countries have united following today’s referendum, which was held in an atmosphere of jubilation among their peoples. The two states had been separated and ruled by foreign powers, either openly or covertly, since the 12th century, the time of Sultan Saladin, the opponent of the Crusades who had united the two countries. Remembering that glorious past, Egypt and Syria voted by an overwhelming majority today in favor of the union of both countries as the United Arab Republic under President Gamal Abdel Nasser. Some 6.5 million Egyptians and 1.36 million Syrians went to the polls for the referendum. The official results are to be announced tomorrow in both countries simultaneously. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the union will be overwhelmingly ratified and the result will be similar to that which brought Nasser to power in Egypt in 1956 with 99.9 percent of the vote.
