Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-01-30
Soviet Protest Over TripoIi

Although the text has not yet been
made public. Washington has confirmed
receipt of protest by the Soviet gov
eminent against our intention to reopen
the Mellaha air base in the former italian
colony of Libya, not far from it's capital
city of Tripoli.
Moscows action comes fortnight after
a United States Air Force announcement
in Frankfurt, Germany, that this base
was to be used as refueling and serv-
icing stop for Air Transport Command
planes en- route through the Mediter-
ranean area. Technically, this is not for
military purposes, since the runways on
the Mellaha field are not big enough for
long distance bombers. Nevertheless, the
reactivation of an air base on the southern
shore of the Mediterranean which could
reach virtually all points in the Balkans
within 1,000-mile radius has strategic
implications that have not been lost upon
Moscow. And, since Britain, which has
occupied Libya ever since wrestling it
from Italy in 1943, gave It's assent a
Soviet protest has likewise been sent to
London.
If the gist of the Soviet note can be
inferred from broadcast by the official
Moscow radio, the Soviet government re-
CARDS the reopening Of the Mellaha base
as constituting IAN act directed In the
first turn against the countries of the
new democracy in Europe"-that being
the term habitually employed by Moscow
to describe the Soviet bloc And 1t goes
on to assert that this action is contrary
to the terms of the Italian peace treaty.
Since Washington and London have an
nounced that they are acting within their
legal rights, a rejection of the Soviet pro-
test can be confidently anticipated.
Libya, like the other portions of Italy's
prewar colonial empire, Is awaiting final
disposition until an agreement between
the victorious great powers has been ar
rived at, which has hitherto proved i'm
possible. 1t Is certainly the most impor-
tant segment Of the former Italian En-
pire, not so much from its natural re-
sources as from its strategic situation.
Lbya is an enormous block of territory,
one-fourth the size Of the continental
United States, albeit mostly desert and
with sparse population. 1t has a Medi-
terranean coastal frontage of some 800
miles, lying between French Tunis on the
west and Egypt on the east. Situated due
south of both Italy and Greece, it thus
dominates the Central Mediterranean from
Its African side.
At the first conference OF the Foreign
Ministers Council, nearly two years ago,
Moscow threw diplomatic bombshell by
demanding a mandate over Libya Since
this would have projected the Soviet Union
into the heart of the Mediterranean re-
gion and given it a foothold in Africa,
the demand was summarily rejected alike
by Britain and the United States. IN
deed, it was at that time regarded as a
move made for bargaining purposes on
other matters. Yet Moscow has never
formally abandoned its demand for
Libyan position, and this new diplomatic
move could be the prelude either to a
revival of its claim or to pressure upon
Italy in consequence of what Moscow could
claim was breach of the peace settle
ment with that country. It's follow-up
protest against the presence of American
naval units in Italian ports fits into this
picture.