Evening star., 1949-05-22
Pattern for Middle East Prosperity
Public Works Program
Awaits Political
Stability
By John {, Henry
By John 6. Henry

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Establishment Of a reasonable
political stability in the Middle
East could set the stage for pro-
gram of public works in that area
which would bring to it a pros
perity it has not known for CEN
turies:
If attempted and achieved
quickly it could solve the des-
perate problem Of nearly million
Arabs, displaced by creation of the
Jewish state of Israel. On long
range basis, it could bring not only
economic prosperity. 1t could
bring social rehabilitation to coun-
tries that are strong in ancient
culture but weak in modern
democracy. 1t could bring more
fully into the orbit of the Western
world a group of countries and
peoples whose inclination is to be
in that orbit, but whose own in
ternal weaknesses have left them
relatively powerless in the face of
any threatened aggression from
Communist force or inf1ltration.
Engineering studies for many Of
the potential project developments
already have been made, some in
preliminary form and some In
more advanced degree. The over
all cost. for program that might
accomplish with pennies what the
Marshall Plan is attempting to do
in Europe with dollars, does not
appear great. For the projects
already engineered in one degree
or another. 5000, 100000 would
finance them to near completion.
And on Wednesday of this past
week so members Of the House
joined in sponsoring a resolution
calling for establishment OF aI
Near East survey commission to
study these and other develop
ment projects. Pointing toward
what it termed self-liquidating
and wealth-creating projects with
out commitments on the part OF
this Government for financial OF
service assistance, the group pro-
posed a 15-member commission to
make the study. 1t estimated
that at cost of $500. 100000 an
other 10 to Is million cultivable
acres could be developed in the
various countries involved.
| Oil Investment Plans
BY contrast, the network Of
American oil interests alone IN the
Middle East already have pro-
jected capital expenditures Of
nearly $4,000, ,000. 900 in that area
in the next five years-if the
requisite of political stability and
cooperation Is achieved. Some Of
this sum would be expended in the
United States on machinery and
other facilities, but its end use
and benefit would be directed to
the Middle East. The accom-
panying table shows a break
down on these projected ex-
penditures. Some Of this sum
already Is being expended-with-
out the assurance Of stability. And
even this projected total does not
include the additional millions
flowing eastward each year in roy
alties and normal operating ex-
penditures.
One of the major projects in
the overall program Of the oil
interests received the go-ahead
signal only this week when the
Syrian government ratified the
proposal for extension of the
/ ,100-mile trans-Arabian pipe
line across Syrian territory from
the Saudi Arab border to the
frontier Of Lebanon and its
eventual terminal near Sidon.
The Syrian action, incidentally,
is an interesting development in
that it may signify an intent on
the part Of the recently recon-
stituted Syrian government to
follow a positive pro-American
policy.
The initiation and accomplish
ment of any or all Of these con-
templated works. either the pri-
vately or publicly financed ones,
fit rather logically into the bold
new program" enunciated by
President Truman in point four
of his inaugural address of last
January.
Obviously, the problem of ac-
complishing the condition Of
stability is not a simple one. The
Middle East Is in a torment over
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