1948-05-22 — Page 11

T

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, MAY 22, 1948.

DANGER OF SPLITTING THE PALESTINE ATOM Why the Middle East

of world

is the centre of politics and strategy

BY -

--FIELD-MARSHAL EARL WAVELL

THE Middle East la a very defiles. i.c.. indefinite geographical waterways. or political expression, " It may be defined as those parts of Afrien and Asia which look West rather than East, to- wards Europe rather than to- wards Asia.

It is, in fact, the watershed between East and West.

In this article it will be taken to include generally the limits of my Middle East Command in the early part of the inte war, Le.. Libya, Egypt, Sudan. Palestine, Transjordan, and Syria; while the ndincent countries of Turkey, Iraq, and Arabia, though hardly part of the Middle East, are deeply concerned in its forties,

It is essentially Muslim. the most important Muslim bloe in the world, and pre- dominantly Arab in origin and culture, with a common Arabic language.

It represents the overflow of the Arabian desert into civili. sation. To the north and west lie Europe and the U.S.S.R.; to the south lies the rest of Africa: to the cast lies another Muslim bloc consisting of Persia, Afghanistan, Pakistan.

VITAL PART

Of all world empires The Middle East, as Brus defined, has been an essential part of all world empires, The Grécks, though they left their mark, ‘as they did on all civilisation, hardly occupied I- Alexander's conquest was only n Jarge-scale ratti.

It was an important part of the Rom Empire and included their eastern outposts, the remains of

narrow

but importani ment. or will there be an attempt

to excise it by the surgical opera-. tion of war?

centre on the Middle East, ... the Now, many of these "ren deflies" Mediterranean defile between Sicily and Africa, the deẞles In the eastern Mediterranean and Egean, the Dardanelles, the Suez Canal, the Red Sea.

To protect them, ale superiority is required; and the Middle East has many suitable air bases, through which pass the maln air routes from Europe or America to Africa, Asia, and Australia.

Though in decline compared with ale power, naval power is still of vital importance in the attack and defence of rea communications.

In the Middle

East the naval bases of Alexandria, Haifa, Beirut, and Cyprus (if developed) are valuable for the control of the

eastern Mediterranean.

CONTROL OF OIL is its economic importance The Middle East is not on indus- area and has few manufac- trial

Nor does t. produce any tures. supply. grent surplus of grain for world

Its economic importance in power politics-which still seem the fay- ourite and most dangerous gamble of great nations-lies in its control of the oil supply from the Persian Gulf, the principal world reserve of oil at present known.

of the

As said, the population area is mainly Arab, unprogressive in civilization--and who will blame them, when they regard the intest manifestations of modern civilsa tion?

The conflict between Turk and Arab is ended, the Turk has with-. drawn from his previous empire of Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Arbin,

The French

and

British have

parties to the Araba, the

TURKEY

Syria

İRAN

ALGERIA

CARO

Libya

Egypt.

APARIR

MISCA

There are three Pabstine problem-the Jews, and the British. It is almost and by the encouragement of Jewish Impossible to do justice to their immigration to give that persecuted three condictinst points of vlow but indelible nation a homo for within the compans of an article of their nationhood and n centre for reade to summarise them. this length, but an attempt must be their religion and culture.

It was always obvious that Paics- To take first the Arab view. They tine could not possibly contain even have an initial grievance in their a majority of the Jewish nation, and claim that the possession of Pales- it was also obvious that a

very tine was promised to them in the large proportion of the Jewish negotiations of 1916 that preceded nation had no intention of leaving the entry of King Hussein of Mecca their countries Into the First World War, and that settling there, its conquest by the British was greatly facilitated by the operations of Hussein's son Feisal on their flank.

They claim that the British, after unfairly retaining the land, have encouraged the entry of over half a millon foreigners--for they con-

Semites many centuries sider that the European Jews lost any claim to

be considered as ago-who displaced Arab cultivators, and by have bought up Arab land, have

opinion. their manners have outraged Arab

THEY ARE. itOWEVER.

of

Sudan,

DIO-

The United Nations duced the solution of partition: a

have

solution which the Arabs at least- and not merely those of Palestine, but also of Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and Transjordan-consider unfurt and many are determined to oppose; and which. knowledge of the country consider neutral observers with impracticable.

THE

The country to be partitioned is adoption and approximately the size of Wales or

of the State of Massachusetts.

THERE 18

AT PRESENT ANOTHER PORTANT PROBLEM IN THE MIDDLE EAST, WHICH HAB FOR THE TIME BEING EMBITTERED THE FRIEND-

OUR IDEAL What we strove for

tho

It was never intended by British Government that Palestine should be a Jewish country.

of the best type of Jew would both The hope was that a strong leaven stimulate the progress of a back- ward country, as indeed it has, and Jews who found themselves an un- would help to solve the problem of welcome and despised element in other countries.

For nearly 30 years the British Government and THE

the administra- tion in Palestino have striven whole- heartedly after this ideal

THEY SAY. PREPARED TO MAKE TERMS WITH JEWS NOW IN THE COUN- TRY, PROVIDED THEY WILL - ACCEPT THEIR POSITION AS A MINORITY, THOUGH A VERY POWERFUL AND IN- FLUENTIAL ONE.

LY RELATIONS DETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN

AND EGYPT: THAT OF THE FUTURE OF THE SUDAN.

noit

have close common

It is a dispute between allies who

interests early solution. ties and is. It is hoped, capable of

'AN ATOM' And if it splits There is no need to enter into nny detail of it here. It is over- shadowed by the urgency of the Palesine problem.

scopd

сап-

They have naturally made mis- takes, their policy has not always been even and consistent, but it An article of this has Всем

***directes,

always, not, of course, do more than give the What they fear, and with some wards the aim of bettering the lot position.

consciously or

or unconsciously, to barest outline of the Middle East Justice, Is an unlimited Influx of both Arab and Jew and of world Importance of this area and It has tried to show the of Jews, of whom an important persuading them to live together in the difficulties and dangers of the section openly avow

their amicable relations and to combine present situation. intention to make themselves mas- in taking over the administration of ters. of the whole of Palestine.

the country.

STRONG CASE

Circumstances have been against them, especially the renewed

perfe- Of the British

cution of Jews in Germany and the Second World War, they have been The Jews base their claims on forced to ask the United Nations to their relleve them of their responsibliitles historical origin nid religious faith and of a costly and heavy burden on their lack of any other national which they have borne in the in- home, and on their sufferings and terests of world progress. persecution elsewhere

which may still be seen in Trans- withdrawn or are withdrawing from Palestine being the land of

Jordan and elsewhere,

Napoleon's dreams of world en-- pire began at Alexandrin war ended ot Acre.

The communications of the British Empire have been centred on it. The possession of this bren was vital in both wars, especially the last.

Titter probably lost his chance of A German world emplie by not realising this.. It is the birth- place at three great religion, and of the Prince of Pener, and is the elief danger to the pence of the world at present.

1

ITS STRATEGICAL IMPOK- TANCE LIES IN ITS CONTROL OF COMMUNICATIONS, STILL THE MAIN SECRET OF SUC- CESSFUL WAR. DESPITE ATOM BOMBS AND ROCKETS.

The principal communications of nations and of armies will continue to be by sea, the air will not carry the necessary fonnare for many years to come, at least not economi- cally,

Syria and Palestine.

BUT ΤΟ LEAVE THE MIDDLE EAST WEAK AND UNPROTECTED, AS A SORT OF "POWER-VACUUM." WOULD BE HIGHLY DAN- GEROUS TO WORLD PEACE.

which sympathy.

claims

obviously merit Kreat.

It.

To sum up, if any great Power desires, and designs.World. Empire, it must control the Middle East.

The Middle East is now situated between the two strongest existing world Powers, though not half- way between. Palestine is an atom, the splitting of which might cause o world explosion.

(World Copyrioliti

What Do You Think?

ALL

BY RALPH SHAW

They point with justiflenule pride Since UNO, under its present of the work they have done on the constitution, does not yet appear development of Palestine. and claim capable of exercising the influence that the Arabs have benefited and and control over world affairs for will continue to benefit from which a war-weary world hoped, it They disclaim any intention lo' Is-essential that Great Britain-the-dominate the whole innd.- Power with great interests and close

A-LL-this-blather about ZBW's name of the maker of those famous pills that are, so we are told, worth connection with this

These are only, of course, the

pronunciation reminds me part of the barest outlines of the

a Kuinen a box. Most world and yet with

Arab

confusing. and of altruistic 40

my Patagonian friend, isn't it? policy should maintain its position stand the British, who have also à

Jewich CASUS. Between them Oomph Toshisheroakopf, who and influence.

strong case to put forward at the went to Britain some years ago bar of world opinion

world to study the language and who history.

shot himself under the cake They conquered the land at con- stand at a Lyon's Corner House treasure and rescued it siderable expenditure of blood and after reading a sign outside a stagnant rule of the Turk; but they theatre which stated: "Caval- conquest. did

it by right

of ende Pronounced Success In

a tragic note, nc-tressed to the cow out of whooping cough, if you They have striven honestly, and BBC, he stated that it was get what I mean. prove the lot of with great self-sacrifice, both to im-

THREE PARTIESTM

of

To the problem The Immediate problem and den ger is the existence energetic,

asnall, as an irritating "foreign body"

progressive Jewish bloc some may term it a "cancer"in this predominantly Muslim world.

Will it be absorbed by the heal- routes, have often to pars through ing medicine of diplomatic agree

Sen communications, like

land

not

and

from the

HAT ʼn language! We talk of men being led to the slaughter and, in almost the same breath, we men- tion a we state with more bravado than a length of lead piping which, intention, we intend to wrap around our mother-in-law's

neck. fat We

speak of birds on the boughs. and the fact that the going is rough, And all this doesn't make a hacking

comes

over to

whom they found in the country, attempt to unravel

the inhabitants better to die young than to On the other hand, perhaps it's

the intri- when a foreigner

better to keep things as they are, cacies of a language that had learn our language, 11 this him tearing his hair out in adenoidal skullduggery keeps him out of mischief. And when a Red great chunks. And, when you sees red, he's only half the man he come to think of it, old Ooomph was, Harry Pollitti was quite right.

OPHELIA?" On what ainoble mind is here

D'arthrown!"

„HAMLET:"I am but mad north-north-west.

When the wind is easterly

I know a hawk from a handsaw.".

ERNIE HAMLET

PALESTINE ulated to

the World

situation

TAGUE and

(Copyright in all Countries)

I think, I have had enow of blathering about my language. The Just take the pronunciation of the going is getting pretty row and the names of come of Britain's towns, birds on the buff are spitting at the for example. We have Leicester, pigs in the trow. If the task

Gets which is Lester. We have Worces too hard, then there's always a book ter, which is Wuster.

to read and, when you have read And, by the it, if you can fathom way, if ever you visit the former Britons

out why stili Insist on speaking elty, don't arouse the wrath of English, then you win the first Lestonians (or whatever they call prize of a hand-knitted soup ladle.. burghers of that ancient city) by. asking for Belvoir' Street.

No, my

friends, it's not Belvoir Street-11's AND, having got that off my Beaver St. If you can tell me how conversation I had with a friend of chest, let me tell you of a they arrive at that conclusion, then mine on Wednesday.

you are a better man than I, Gungn Dinl

And then we have

"Ah!" he said, breezily, "I see tho Editor of the Telegraph has written Daventry, an editorial' about you” At last, I thought, my talents, so lang hid- Now the natives of that little town ten by the pretty jealousies of lester always refer to their native hearth lights than 1. Gunga Din, have been

famous as a broadcasting

centre.

is Donetree. And, just about three recognized. miles away, is a tle village called Staverton. It's Stayton to the na- binck and white-all about the de- "Yes," he continued, "It's there in tives. The shades of old Oomph! moralising dopel",

'Not content with making hierogly-

phies to our town names, we have floats my way, this reminds me of And, clutching at any straw that

П

to go und mess around with the our monikers carried by our blue ference to

morning contemporary's re- blooded aristocracy-just

to bam- epidemic" In

"recent typhoon boozle the foreigners a little more. Just more hot air, I fancy.

Acro in Palestine.

that

Tako old Cholmondeley, for And then there's the report of the example, it's Chumley, old boy London to Bradford express Chumley! And then there's Main- left the "tract" at Wath-on-Deame. waring. It's Mannering to those in Well, I suppose a little mission the know, There's Beauchamp, work up there might keep those which, strangely enough, is pro- hard-headed Yorkshiremen on the nounced exactly the same. as the straight and narrow in the future.

11

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