Evening star., 1948-06-23
U. 5. Prepares Cyprus.
AS Base in Expectation
a0f Trouble With Arabs
By Leigh White
Foreign Correspondent OF The stor and
The Chicago Dolly News

The Chieoso Dolly News
: NICOSIA, Cyprus, June 23,-The
Island of Cyprus is hastily being con-
ssverted into an American as well as
"a British case.
= This is one way the United States
Is preparing to weather political
hurricane which threatens to blow
Uncie Sam out of the Arab cour-
Etris before the end of the summer.
- The wild wind of Arabian resent
ment against the United States and
all It's works is expected to reacn
hurricane velocity within a few
weeks after the expiration of the
present truce in Palestine.
New Hostilities Expected.
Our diplomatic. military and naval
representatives are preparing for the
following eventualities:
/. Resumption of hostilities in
Palestine following the expected
Jewish refusal to come to terms
with the Arabs on the basis Of a
federation.
q American sanctions against the
Arab states to reinforce the pro-
Zionist policy of the Truman admin
istratlon.
3. Anti American violence, follow
ed by the rupture of diplomatic re-
lations and evacuation of our citi-
zens from most of the Arab coun-
tries.
The American Air Force has tenn
yi1Ir t1rith hSr1 tn Gpry11o Tho
squadron of evacuation airplanes
that were previously standing by in
Cyprus. 1t is prepared to send
them back, however. the moment
the truce breaks down.
The Air Transport Command is
meanwhile, preparing TO eVacuate
Cairo and transfer its main base IN
the Middle East to Nicosia, New
radio and radar facilities are, &C
cordingly, being rushed to COM
pletion.
Trans World and Pan American
Airlines are both preparing to move
to Cyprus, at least temporarily, in the
conviction that it will be impossible
for them long to continue operating
out of Cairo and Damacus.
For similar reasons new s250000
Anglo-American radio monitoring
station is also being built. The new
station, which will be completed
early next fall, is expected to take
the place of the monitoring station
now being operated in Cairo. 1t IS
part of worldwide network of list
ening posts that the American and
British armies have established since
World War II. It's chief purpose is
to keep in touch with Soviet propa-
ganda activities throughout the
world on an hourt tohour basis.
Island Searched for Oil.
The British controlled Iraq Pc
troleum Co. has begun a furious
search for oil on Cyprus in hope of
making the island independent of
political developments on the Arab
ian mainland
AS one result of the closing of
the Haifa pipeline and refinery
gasoline has had to be strictly
rationed until such time as sufficient
tankers can be built to supply
Cyprus from Iran.
Until recently the Cyprus Mines
Corp. was the only American organ
ization on the island. The corpora
ton, which employees $500 persons,
has operated since 1918 a number of
ancient Greek copper mines that
had been idle for centuries. The
company made them profitable
again by introducing a patented
process for the smelling of low
grade copper ores.
To assist in co-ordinatlng all our
new activities and also to care for
the needs of the hundreds OF Amer
leans who will be residing here. the
State Department has established
an American consulate in Cyprus
for the first time since 1875.
The new consul is w. j. Porter of
Fall River, Mass, formerly attached
to our consulate in Jerusalem.
Mr.. Porter, who has spent the
last 10 years in the Middle East, is
regarded as one of our ablest
younger foreign service officers. He
is 33 years old and naturalized
citizen of Canadian origin. His only
predecessor, Gen. CeSnoia a nat
uralized American of Italian origin,
was appointed to the post in 1865
Gen. Cesnola's appointment. by
President Lincoln, was a reward for
his services in the Union Army dur
ing the Civil War.
During the 10 years he remained
IN Cyprus, however. Gen. Cesnola
spent most of his time digging for
archaeological treasures which he
smuggled out of the island behind
the backs of its Turkish garrison
Thanks to his discoveries, the Met
ropolitan Museum of New York con-
tains the worlds richest collection
of ancient Cypriot jeWelry. /
Four out of every five of the is
lands half-million inhabitants are
Greeks and one out of every five is
a Turk. Cyprus has been British
naval base for 10 years and a Brit
ish Crown Colony for 80 years. 1t
previously belonged to the Ottoman
Empire.
There are many cars to be in
spected this week he said The
sooner We get started each night.
the less confusion there will be-"
2.nnu HoIi11u Nver Ith