GREAT DECISIONS
Topic 4:
Can the United States
Help Peace in Middle East?
THE PROBLEM
The Middle East is the cross
road between Europe and Asia,
battleground of Arab and Jew,
custodian of 70 per cent of the
world's oil.
This barren, sparsely populat
ed area, torn by political and
religious strife, is one of the hot
spots in the 1956 cold war. In
the past 12 months the Arab
Israeli conflict has become an
issue between Russia and the
West. V'estern efforts to
strengthen defenses in the Mid
dle East have run into stiff Arab
opposition.
Western stakes in the Middle
East are high . . . oil, military
bases, the Suez Canal (lifeline of
Britain's Commonwealth). In
spite of Western diplomacy and
strategy, Russia is a powerful
and troublesome influence in
the Middle East.
What are the real conflicts?
What can the U.S. do about
them? How important is the area
to U.S. deienses? Does the West
need Middle Eastern oil? What
are the issues today in the Arab
Israeli conflict?
In this crucial year what can
or should the U.S. do to protect
our interests in this troubled
area?
Here are some background
facts on which to base your
answers to these important ques
tions. THE BACKGROUND
Four main problems make the
the Middle East situation im
portant and difficult, each bear
ing on the six-year-old "truce"
between Israel and the Arab
states and the prospects for
peace or war.
No. 1, Oil
The U S burns 8,256,000 bar
rels of oil every day . . . 2,500,
000 barrels more than we pro
duce in continental United
States. Our Western European
allies use over 2,000,000 barrels
a day more than they produce.
Our oil imports come largely
from Latin America, some from
the Middle East. But Western
Europe and Britain get 74 per
cent of all their oil from the
Middle East.
The oil fields of Iran, Iraq,
Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the
British protectorates on the
Arabian peninsula are the rich
est in the world. The U.S. anji
Britain control- most of these,
separately and jointly, in a com
plicated system of international
stockholding. France and the
Netherlands also own large
blocks of stock.
Oil runs industries and
armies. If the Middle East fell
to the Communists, how would
this affect the East-West- oil
balance?
World oil production in 1955
totaled 8,998,900 barrels from
the U.S. and Western allies; 3,
279,600 from the Middle East;
1.675,000 from Russia and satellites,-
and 384,100 from the rest
of the world.
The U.S. and allies, plus
Africa and the Far East, control
22.9 per cent of the oil reserves,
and the Middle East 70 per cent.
No. 2, Strategy
Britain and France are "old
hands" in the Middle East. Brit
ish colonies on the Arabian Pen
insula date back to the early
1800s. Trade, defense of the
Suez Canal and, more recently,
oil, are British stakes. French
influence in areas which are
now Syria and Lebanon dates
back to the last century.
Even Russia, under the czars
and under communism, has' a
longtime interest in the Middle
East, especially in Turkey and
Iran on the Russian borders.
The U.S. is a newcomer.
What are the U.S. stakes . . .
what do we have to gain or lose?
American-owned (or partly own
. ed) oilfields are one answer. U.S.
global strategy . . . our world
wide chain of defenses against
communism ... is another.
The U.S. maintains strategic
air bases in Saudi Arabia and
Turkey. Britain, our NATO part
ner, maintains bases on the is
land of Cyprus and has the use
of bases in Iraq, Jordan and at
the Suez Canal in Egypt.
The Middle East also has a
place in the global system of
Western alliances. In nine years
of cold war the Western allies
have slowly hammered together
a system of alliances along the
Communist borders from Europe
to Asia. Two of the key ones
are the Aorth Atlantic Treaty
! Organization in Europe and the
South East Asia Treaty organi
zation. Turkey is the eastern
most of the NATO countries;
Pakistan the westernmost
SEATO country. The Middle
Eastern country of Iran lies be
tween. Western statesmen have fre
quently expressed the hope that
NATO" and SEATO could be
"overlapped" by linking Tur
key, Iran and Pakistan in a new
Middle Eastern alliance.
During 1955 Britain set up
this alliance, the Middle East
Treaty organization, also called
the Baghdad pact. Under the
British plan METO would in
clude Turkey, Iran, Pakistan,
and the Arab states like Iraq and
Jordan. With British and (it was
hoped) U.S. aid, Iran and any
Arab members of the pact would
modernize and expand their
armies. Only those of Turkey
and Pakistan are fully equipped,
modern armies now.
No. 3. Poverty
The overwhelming majority
of the people of the Middle East
are underprivileged and neglect
ed. Fifteen to 20 babies out of
every 100 dies before they are
a year old. The vitality of the
adults (most of whom work
meager farms) is sapped by di
seases like trachoma, hookworm,
typhoid, dysentary and malaria.
The Arab-Israeli war has left
hundreds of thousands homeless,
dependent on relief.
Water is the biggest problem.
Lack of proper irrigation keeps
hundreds of thousands of acres
barren and unproductive. Only 2
per cent of Egypt's land is culti
vated . . . five per cent of Iraq's
and Jordan's. But dams and
canals are expensive.
In a few countries oil royal
ties provide considerable local
income. Not all of this, however,
finds its way into productive
channels. And the job to be
done, to raise the people out of
their misery, is enormous. The
U.S., through its foreign aid
program, is trying to help.
The U.S. has spent $115,000,
000 in military aid and defense
support in Iran and Turkey;
3t,iuu,uuu in technical co
operation throughout the Middle
East; and $65,000,000 in aid to
Palestine refugees.
No. 4, Arab vs. Jews
The Middle East is the home
of three of the great religions
of the world Judaism, Chris
tianity and Islam. The Moslems
constitute overwhelming majori
ties in all countries except Is
rael, which is predominantly !
Jewish, and Sy-ia and Lebanon,
which have lar, Christian
populations.
At one time, all the Arab
countries were part of the old
Ottoman (Turkish) empire. Some
of the countries, like Egypt,
broke away from Turkey during
the 19th century. Syria, Iraq,
Lebanon, Jordan and parts of
what is now Saudi Arabia were
separated from Turkey during
World War I, with British and
French help.
Israel is the only non-Moslem
country in the Middle East. It is
a new state, created in 1948 by
the UN as an independent home
land for the Jews. The idea of a
Jewish homeland, however, is
just as old as the Arab political
tradition.
The campaign to creat a Jew
ish nation dates back to the
1880s when the Zionist move
ment was founded. A number of
European Jews established
colonies in Palestine, and by
1914 therewere 80,000 Jews in
this area. In 1917, during World
War I, the British government
declared itself in favor of a
"National home for the Jewish
people" the famous Balfour
declaration. The League of Na
tions right after the war made
Palestine a British mandate.
The Arab states were unani
mously opposed to a Jewish
state and fought bitterly to pre
vent the immigration of more
Jews to Palestine.
The persecution of Jews in
Europe under Hitler intensified
the problem. Thousands of refu
gees demanded a right to enter
Palestine and to live in peace
and security. The Arabs were
just as insistent that no more
Jews be brought to the Middle
East Britain, acting as protector
to both, faced the same problem
that tht West faces today . .'.
how to give both Jews and
Arabs what they want and to ,
keep peace.
In 1947 Britain turned the
problem over to the United Na
tions. The UN, over Arab opposi
tion, decided to partition Pales
tine into independent Jewish
and Arab states. Britain set the
end of the mandate and the
beginning of Israel's indenpen
dence for May 15, 1948.
On that date the armies of
Egypt, Jordan and Iraq moved
into Palestine and full-scale war
began between Israel and her
Arab neighbors. Bitter fighting
contined until January, 1949,
and in July of that year a tem
porary armistice was signed.
The Israeli population, fighting
for its existence, won a clear
victory in the war. Although the
Arab forces were larger than
Israel's, they lacked a unified
command or policy.
UN efforts to obtain a per
manent peace have been fruit
less. The temporary borders, set
by the armistice agreement and
watched over by a UN commis
sion, are unsatisfactory to both
sides. Nearly a million Arab
refugees, . scattered from terri
tory now held by Israel, are an
other sore point in settling the
dispute. The UN finally assum
ed responsibility for these refu
gees and the U.S. contributes to
their support through the UN.
In 1950, the U.S. joined Brit
ain and France in a declaration
"unalterably opposed to the use
of force" in changing any of
the boundaries fixed by the arm
istice. But all efforts to get the
Israelis and the Arabs to sit
down around a peace table have
failed so far.
Against this background the
U.S. and her allies are trying to
forge a policy of peace in 1956.
What Does the Middle East
Mean to the U.S. in 1956?
What Russia is doing in the
Middle East may have a bearing
on the importance of this area
to the U.S.
During 1955-56 Russia has of
fered aid military and eco
nomic to Middle Eastern coun
tries (but not to Israel). They
include arms to Egypt, ex
changed through Czechoslovakia
for surplus cotton; 50-year loan
at 2 per cent interest for con
struction of the High Dam at
Aswan; long term loans at low
interest to finance economic de
velopment of Lebanon; military
aid to Saudi Arabia; and eco
nomic aid to Syria.
What are our stakes in the
Middle East? Are U.S. bases
(and those of our allies) neces
sary to defend U.S. interests?
Does the U.S. need Middle East
ern oil? Do our Allies?
Is METO an important part of
U.S. global strategy? Does the
U.S. have any stake in the eco
nomic and social "progress of the
area? Are we spending too much
money on non-military aid? Not
enough? What about Russian
offers of assistance . . . how do
these offers affect the U.S.? Does
the U.S. have a bigger stake in
Israel or in the Arab countries?
Could the U.S. afford to pull out
of the Middle East?
What effect would a full
scale Arab-Israeli war have on
U.S. interests in the Middle
East? Would Russia gain or lose
from such a war? How? Is
friendship of Arab states with
us important? What are the
issues at stake between Arabs
and Israelis? Can we afford to
take sides?
WHAT ARE OUR CHOICES?
Should the U.S. change its de
fense strategy? In light of Arab
opposition, how important is
METO to U.S. global defenses?
Why do the Arab states oppose
METO? WTould METO be as ef
fective or more so without
the participation of Iraq or Jor
dan? Is Arab participatin neces
sary? What stand should the
U.S. take on METO? Can the
U.S. rely on the Arab states to
aeiena themselves? What can
the U.S. do about Russian offers
of aid? Is a "neutral" Middle
East a threat to U.S. security?
Are alliances and military bases
the only ways in which the West
can protect its interests in the
Middle East?
What can we do about Russia
in the Middle East? What is be-
!n THe Day's News
President Eisenhower the
other day signed the bill al
ready approved by both houses
of the congress that authorizes
the much-discussed, in many
ways highly controversial Upper
Colorado River project.
The Upper Colorado River
project calls for a system of
power dams and irrigation proj
ects in five states of the Far
West. The bill merely AUTHO
RIZES the project. The money
has yet to be appropriated by
congress. If and when the money
is appropriated, the project will
cost some 760 MILLION DOLLARS.
As he signed it, President Ei
senhower remarked that the bill
recognizes that water is getting
to be our most valuable re
source. With that statement, I
think, all of us in Southern Ore
gon and Far Northern Califor
nia will agree.
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watts will be added to the Upper
Colorado Basin power capacity.
"IRRIGATION: A total of
366,000 acres in the Upper
Colorado Basin will get water
from the first 11 projects.
"INDUSTRY: With more
water and power, Upper Colo
rado Basin states hope to attract
big new industries (to develop
their existing raw materials,
chiefly minerals.)"
Sunday, April 15, 1956
MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE FIVB
rPHE U.S. News and World Re
port (one or tne nauon s
leading business -magazines) in
a recent issue devoted several
pages of text, pictures and maps
to this huge project. Among
other things, it said in its in
teresting article:
"America's last frontier, the
arid Upper Colorado river basin,
may become a mountain . oasis
for millions. After years of
argument, congress has approv-1
ed construction of dams and stor- j
age reservoirs to provide water j
and power for the upper basin j
of the Colorado. At least 760 i
million dollars will be spent on '
projects now approved. Eventu
ally billions probgbly will be
poured into the region (by pri-
vat einvestors developing the re
sources made available by the
project.)
The magazine adds that over
the years a "new land of oppor
tunity " is expected to open in
the Colorado's upper basin. It
adds: "Water liquid gold to
the West is counted upon to
provide the base for this new in
land empire."
rjHIS WORD in conclusion:
If water will do all that for
the Upper Colorado Basin, it
will do all thaf AND MORE for
Southern Oregon for here in
Southern Oregon we have
plenty of water, if we handle it
right, and we have natural re
sources and native raw mater
ials to equal those of the basin
of the Upper Colorado.
Keep your eye on Southern
Oregon.
It's going places in the future.
Tractors can operate at least
100 farm machines and their attachments.
Alumni Group Sets
Medford Dinner Meet
Three members of the Uni
versity of Oregon alumni tour,
sponsored by the alumni asso
ciation, will speak at a dinner
meeting at the Medford hotel
at 7 p.m. Thursday, April ,19.
Those speaking here will be
Dr. Arnold Shotwell, curator of
the museum of natural history,
who will talk on "Fossil Vaga
bonds;" Dr. Robert Gordon, as
sistant professor of English,
"Literature Never Dies;" and
Dr. Vergil Dykstra, associate
professor of philosophy, "Phi
losophy in Thirty Years."
Bass Dyer is alumni director.
Reservations for the dinner,
which will follow a social hour
at 6 p.m., may be made by con
tacting Barker's store, 2-6501.
The group also will appear in
Grants Pass and Eureka, Calif.,
while touring this area.
Sea pressure reaches seven
tons per square inch at a depth
of 6V2 miles.
Parsons Elected Head
Of Dairy Association
J. E. Parsons was elected pres
ident of the Jackson County
Dairy Herd Improvement as
sociation Thursday at a board
of directors meeting in the coun
ty agent s office.
Other officers elected are
Victor Birdseye, vice-president,
and Earle Jossy, secretary.
Directors of the group are
Parsons, Birdseye, Lewis Clark,
James A. Edge and Chester Jensen.
Burglary of Church
Thwarted by Woman
An attempted burglary of the
Four-Square Gospel church on
DeBarr ave. was thwarted Fri
day when Mrs. Erma Cutter,
944 Murray st., accosted a man
who was rifling the church pul
pit, Medford police reported.
Mrs. Cutter called out at the
man after she came downstairs
to investigate a noise in the
Siskiyou Supervisors
Plan Remodeling
Yreka Siskiyou county sup
ervisors have approved $40,000
for 'additional construction and
remodeling of the county jail
after Sheriff A. B. Cottar point
ed out a steady increase over the
past five years in the number of
prisoners.
A total of 695 prisoners in
1955 was the highest to date.
Funds asked of the super
visors for the Siskiyou County
hospital included an amount in
excess of $345,000 for salaries;
$18,000, medical supplies; $61,
800, construction.
A representative of the Shasta
Cascade Wonderland association
received assurance of $1,000 con
tribution from the county for
promotion of the area.
building, police were told. The
man handed her a 50-cent piece
as he ran from the church, she
said.
II Mil. U.IH.MIII
ITNDER THE heading "What's
Coming in the Upper Colo
rado Basin,'' the U.S. News says:
"WATER. The yearly water
supply of Colorado, New Mex
ico, Utah and Wyoming will
RISE (because of storage that
will save water that otherwise
would run to waste) about one
and a half million acre feet.
"POWER: About 900,000 kilo-
hind Communist trade and aid
offers? Is Middle Eastern trade
with Communist countries dan
gerous to U.S. interests . . .
how? What can we do to stop
it? The secretary general of the
UN suggests that Russia and the
U.S. might cooperate on a long
range economic aid program for
the Middle East. Would this
work? Should we consider it?
What are our alternatives?
What can we do about the
mounting Arab-Israeli Conflict?
Can or should the U.S.
take sides?
Should the U.S. press for a
compromise? ... If so, how?
Should we intervene vigorously
. . . or should we take less part
in the controversy? What pres
sures can the U.S. apply to bring
about a peaceful solution?
Should the U.S. (working with
our allies) consider sending
troops to keep the peace? If war
breaks out, should the U.S. in
tervene with force to restore
peace? Is an Arab-Israeli settle
ment possible?
YOUR OPINION COUNTS
The Great Decisions program,
in forming the basis for discus
sion groups on foreign affairs,
offers a way in which the
opinion of the individual can be
heard and noted.
The Great Decisions commit
tee will receive letters (or the
ballots included in the fact
sheets) to be tabulated and the
results forwarded to the Depart
ment of State and our congres
sional representatives.
The material above is a digest
and condensation of the fact
sheets prepared for use in the
Great Decisions program.
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