Evening star., 1951-12-23
Libya, Poorest Nation
On Earth, 10 Be Given
Freedom tomorrow
BY the Associated Press

pr me ASSoStoieo FfeSS
TRIPOLI, Libya, Dec. 22.-Libya,
the poorest nation on earth. gets
its independence Monday as al
Christmas eve gift from the United
Nations.
Pro-Western Mohammed Idiss
Ell Senussi. 72-year-old religiousI
leader and desert warrior, will
ascend the throne as the first King
Of the United Kingdom of Libya at
his simple two-story palace in
Bengasi.
With him will be U. N. Com
missioner Adrian ]. Pelt, the chub-
by Dutchman, who carried out the
United Nations resolution to make
Libya free before January l. 1852
The desert kingdom is the first
country ever to achieve indepen-
dence under United Nations aus
pices.
With the green, red and black
Libyan flag and its white crescent
flying proudly, the new nation of
100000 will begin three days of
national rejoicing.
West to Retain Bases.
Soon after independence. Prime
Minister Mahmoud Bey Muntasser,
who will head the government
until the first elections are held
February %, is expected to sign
agreements allowing the United
States. Britain and France to keep
bases in strategic Libya.
The United States will keep
Wheelus Field air base from which
long-range bombers could strike
as far distant as Soviet Russia.
The British will maintain al
reinforced brigade of infantry
the only important ground force
in Libya since the new govern
ment has decided the country isl
too poor to support an army of
its own. France will keep a single
infantry company and three land
ing strips in the desert oasis of
FeZZan.
In return for bases, WESTERN
powers will pour nearly $40 millionI
in direct aid into Libya in its
first year Of independence, 6 mil
lion of it coming from Britain.
U. s. to Give 81 Million.
The United States is expected
to announce gift of 81 million
when a congratulatory letter from
President Truman is handed to
the King just after the inde- |
pendence ceremony. The United
States also plans to spend an
other million on Point Four" aid.
France is chipping in $500. 900
to cover the Fezzan province
deficit while Italy is expected to
make another loan for develop
ment.
Ten per cent of the population
Of Libya are totally blind and 20
per cent blind in one eye. Nor
tality in the first year of life is !
over 80 per cent.
Ninety per cent Of the men and
SO per cent of the women are
illiterate.
The average income is $50 an
nually. even lower than Yemen,
Libya's near rival in poverty
Tripolitania province still has
cave dwellers, probably the last
left in the world.
British Occupation to End. =
Independence day begins at one
minute after midnight in Tripoli.
British Resident Travis Blackley
will then end British occupation
which began in 1943 when the
famed 9Th Army finally drove the
German Afrika Corps out of
Libya. an Italian colony.
At that moment a provisional |
cabinet will take over the lasta
two powers the British still re-
tain. over foreign affairs and de-
fense. Then the cabinet will fly
to Bengasi in U. N. plane for
the Kings independence procla-
nation.
The King will name new
cabinet which will rush back to
Tripoli by air. Next. foreign dip /
lomats will present their creden-i
tials. |
The new government expects to
Join the Arab League but is ex-I
pected to follow generally the
same foreign policy as Jordan,
pro-Arab but also pro-Western
and independent of the Egyptian
sphere of influence.
The new nation has consti-
tuition guaranteeing all funda-
mental freedoms and full democ-
racy. The government is federal
with three member states-Trip-
olitania, Cirenaica, Fezzan-re-
tanning many powers Bengasi.
and Tripoli will be joint capitals.
One main problem is trying to-
bind Libya into one country. Un-t
til Mussolini created Libya in
1889, Tripolitania and Cirenaica
were always separate.