Thant to See Nasser On Middle East Crisis; U.N. Will Meet Today

The United Nations Security Council plans to meet early this morning on the Middle East crisis.

U.N. Secretary General U Thant, on a peace mission to Cairo, yesterday prepared to meet with President Gamal Abdel Nasser, as thousands of Egyptians massed near his hotel shouted "We want war!"

At the same time, Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol said Israel would defend its right to ship through he Gulf of Aquaba, which Egypt has declared off-limits to Israeli boats.

President Johnson yesterday called the Egypian action "Illegal and potentially disastrous to the cause of peace." The Soviet Union, however, offered Arab nations "resolute resistance" on its part against "aggression" in the Middle East.