Evening star., 1946-08-18

IN spite OF the weakness OF BrltaInS
military force, the London government
has decided to preserve its life line with
the rest of the empire. BY various
methods Moscow has been moving into
that life line. 1t all started with the
occupation of AZerbailan. The Iranian
government brought the matter up be-
fore the U. N. Security Council. The
methods Russia used to foil the deci-
sions of that world organization con-
vinced the Iranian government that the
safety of the country lay in its becoming
Soviet satellite. Today the Tudeh
uranian Communist party is actually
in the saddle at Teheran There are
definite indications thatswithin a short
time it will engineer some sort of
movement in Southern Iran, where the
British have vital interests.
1t is not only q question of the oil
concessions which have been obtained
in good faith but also a matter of lines
of communication to India The situ-
alton in that area has developed re-
Gently in such a way that London
has reason to believe that an explosion
must be expected within the next few
months. Its answer has been the
dispatch of three of Britains crack divi-
sions for the protection Of her interests
and of the security of it's citizens who
live in the Persian Gulf section. The
British government was fully aware of
the implications which Moscow might
wish to read into this action and an
nounced beforehand that the United
Nations had no jurisdiction over the
matter
Lifeline Menaced.
The lifeline of the British Empire
would be severely menaced if the Arabs
in the Middle East, possibly supported
by their co-religionists in India and
Africa, were to become actively hostile
to Britain. This explains the toughen-
ing up of London's attitude toward
Palestine. It was most delicate situ-
alton for the British to risk an open
break with the Zionists in view of
their influence and power in the United
States and England. So long as the
British government had hopes that the
Russians would not precipitate a crisis
and would even half-heartedly CO.
operate in the peace organization Of
the world, the London government car
ried on dilatory tactics in regard to a
Jewish national home in Palestine. They
attempted to satisfy both the Zionists
and the Arabs and hoped that a COM
promise might be worked out.
| Last week the British got tough. They
decided to intercept ships carrying dis
/ placed Jews en- route to Palestine and
| taking them to Cyprus or other parts
/ of the empire. This decision was not
prompted, it is said. BY desire to defy
the Jews of the world but because
strategic and political considerations
demanded that the British avoid break
ing with the Arabs. The British de-
pend on the Middle East for oil. without
which their military and economic
power would be paralyzed. These oil
fields are situated in Southern Iran,
which the British are now determined
to defend by force-and in Iraq and
the Saudi Arabia Peninsula.
The King of Arabia and the King Of
Iraq have both made common cause
with the other Arabs in their opposition
to the creation of a Jewish home in
Palestine. They have been very frank
in saying that if the Washington and
London governments SUPPORTED the
Jewish contention, their first reprisal
would be to prevent the exploitation of
the oil resources in their areas.
Normally, the situation could have
stood a certain amount of delay and
negotiation. But the attitude of the
U. S. S. R. in the Middle East, in Europe
and in the Far East, has led to the fear
that Moscow might contemplate some
untoWard action.
Because diplomacy still holds it is
wrong to call a spade a spade, the Brit
ish government is concealing the real
reasons for it's actions in Palestine. 1t
is said in Zionist circles, with a good
deal of basis, that the tough Jewish
forces in Palestine could take care of the
Arabs and if the neighboring states be-
gan holy war a few British divisions
and air squadrons could take care OF
the horse or camel mounted Arab war;
riors.
This may all be true. But the London
government does not overlook the fact
that whenever it is to Russias interest.
the Soviet can come to the rescue Of
nations oppressed by capitalism" and
an appeal from the Arabs might be
readily answered by Moscow. There ars
large Red forces in the Middle East
which could be thrown successfully into
the defense of the Arab cause.
In the same spirit Of attempting to
check the u S. S. RS expansionist pro-
gram in the Middle East the British
government is reported to have informed
the Turkish government that it viii not
renege on its pact with Turkey which
provides immediate assistance in the
event of aggression by another power.
The new Turkish government has made
it known that it will be glad to submit
the question of the Dardanelles to an
international conference and abide by
its decisions. But it is reported to have
informed Moscow that it is not pre-
pared to discuss the matter bilaterally.
The stiffening of Britain's attitude in
the Middle East is not an isolated Incl
dent prompted merely by desire of the
British to maintain their lifeline with
the empire. 1t forms a pattern which
has developed in recent weeks after the
western governments have watched the
antics of the Soviet diplomats at Paris,
in Germany, in the Balkans and even
in China.