Evening star., 1943-10-02
Arabia and Oil

The arrival in Washington of a
high diplomatic mission from Saudi
Arabia brings to public attention an
interesting and potentially impor-
tant aspect of our foreign affairs.
Clad in their picturesque robes and
headdresses, the distinguished visi-
tors, headed by the Amir Faisal,
Foreign Minister and second son of
the King, and accompanied by still
younger brother, the Amir Khalid,
stepped off a plane at the airport on
more than a courtesy call. They
were bent on Practical business, CEN
tering around full-scale develop
ment of their country's immense oil
resources.
Oil is the Aladdin's Lamp which
promises to enrich and modernize
land hitherto poor and backward.
Saudi Arabia comprises most of the
huge Arabian peninsula, whose area
OF nearly million square miles is
chiefly desert dotted with occasional
oases. For untold ages the sparse Be-
douin tribes have led a precarious
existence. Only at rare intervals
have their scattered energies been
fused into united purpose by the
genius of some masterful leader.
Such leader was Mohammed the
Prophet. The latest unifier of
Arabia is Ibn Saud, who for the past
forty years has been welding Arabia
into a strong state of which he is
the undisputed ruler. Until recently
his power was limited by meager re-
sources. But oil has dramatically
transformed the situation.
Between the plateau of Arabia and
the mountain ranges of Iran (Persia)
lies the great valley of Mesopotamia
Graq), of which the Persian Gulf
is merely it's drowned southern end.
Both Iraq and the adjacent districts
of Iran have been known for their
oil seepages for ages, and during
recent decades these have been de-
veloped into some of the worlds
richest oil fields. Similar deposits
have long been suspected along the
Arabian shore of the Persian Gulf,
and prospecting offers were made by
British interests. Ibn Saud, how
ever, was canny. While never hostile
to Britain, he had no wish to see
Britain or any other European great
power acquire large vested interests
in his country, with the political
implications which they would log
ically involve. So he turned to
American oil men, confident that
the United States had no imperial
istic intentions in his part of the
world. Prospecting was begun in the
mid-thirties. In 1888, oil was struck
in paying quantities. Since then oil
deposits have been proven which
promise to be among the richest and
most extensive on earth. And those
immense fields are to be developed
exclusively by American manage
ment and capital.
For Saudi Arabia this promises a
bright future. Already the golden
stream of oil royalties flowing into
the Kings Golfers makes possible all
sorts of modern improvements, the
maintenance of a strong army, and
financial independence. The po-
political consequences on the whole
Arab world should be momentous
and far-reaching. For the United
States, the assurance of a depend
able oil supply is important. One of
our chief worries for the near future
is the threatened exhaustion of our
domestic oil deposits under the ter
rife strain of war. The Saudi fields
will be source of supply inde-
pendent of the economic or political
control of Britain or other great
powers. They will thus supplement
the Mexican and South American
fields on which we already increas-
ingly depend. Saudi Arabia thus
promises to be a valuable outlet for
American enterprise and trade.
From every angle, enlightened self
interest tends to bring the two
countries into close and mutually