Evening star., 1945-02-18
Small Nations May Unite
In 3 Big Considerations
Pan.Islamic, Pan.Slav and Central European
Groups Forecast With ALI Having
Close Ties to Soviet
By Constantine BroaVn

luIee Dig COQIcQeTdGlOIlS are III lQS
making at the confines OF the U. S. s. R.,
the -Islamic, the Pan-Slav and the
Central European. The principal char
acteristics of these new creations are
that while they are far from each
other they are being encouraged and
sponsored by the brilliant Pontbureau
in Moscow which functions inde-
pendently of the Commissariat of For
eign Affairs While the latter serves
only as the contact agency with foreign
powers the actual political plans are
being framed and put into effect by
the Poitbureau whose members are
anonymous as far as the general public
Is concerned.
The -Islamic Confederation is
closer to becoming reality than most
observers have suspected. The most
powerful Arab ruler, King Ibn Saud
of Saudi Arabia and Hejaz, has finally
approved the protocol OF the Pan-Arab
conference held last October at Alex
andria, Egypt. The shrewd Arab mon
arch had not indorsed the agreement
signed by all the other Arab nations
in the Middle and Near East and by
the Egyptians because he was not GER
tain who would become the foremost
power in Europe and Asia.
The Arabs are great believers in
outward signs. When Ibn Saud heard
that President Roosevelt and Prime
Minister Churchill had decided to meet
Premier Stain on his own territory he
knew he could join the other Arab
states without much risk. The fact
that the King Of Saudi Arabia and
Hejaz has now joined the other Arab
states leads observers to believe that
the Pan-Islamic Confederation already
is in existence and will require only
mere formality before it becomes
officially known as such.
Recognize National Spirit.
Russian diplomacy has worked hard
to bring the confederation into being.
Moscow dispatched diplomatic missions
to Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and
Egypt, Trans Jordan and Iraq. All
these countries formerly were regarded
as being within Britain's exclusive zone
Of political and economic influence.
The Russian diplomats were not the
usual type. The heads of the mis-
sions and many Of the attaches were
Russian moslems who made point
of being seen regularly in Mosques
just like the rest of the officials of
the countries to which they were ac-
credited. They spoke Arabic fiuently
and all were "believers"-a vitality i'm
portant point in the dealings with the
Mussulmanic countries.
The Russians were fully aware that
the. national spirit had made much
progress throughout the Middle East
In the last two decades. They encour-
aged 1t and were able to prove con-
clusively that Russia, unlike the West
ern powers, was not seeking to exploit
the natural resources and people OF
the Arabic states. The Russians are
believed to have been able to convince
the Arabs Of the sincerity of their
intentions. They have fought the Brit
ish influence n the Middle East. some
times militantly at other times through
passive resistance.
Up until 1943 the Arabic states had
been propagandized by the Germans
and the Italians who had promised them
complete liberation from the British
sphere Of influence. When the Nazi
Armies advanced close to Alexandria
and the Suez Canal some of the less
cautious Arab leaders, such as the
Premier of Iraq, staged short-hved
rebellion against the British. 1t failed
because Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
never reached Alexandria.
But now when the Russian armies