Evening star., 1952-06-18
Much World Now Undergoing
TwoRevoIutions simultaneously
By Dorothy Thompson

By Dorothy Thompson
I come back to it over and over
again. because it is fundamental:
Much Of the world, and almost
all Of that part in which I have
been travelling, is presently, and
simultaneously, undergoing two
revolutions which are not ideo-
logically conjoined. The one is
the revolt against Imperialism. and
the other is what Jose Ortega y
Gasset has called "The Revolt of
the Masses"
= y
In the Middle East, the first is
far the stronger. The demand for
self-government and self-deter-
mination affects the whole of the
Arab and Moslem world from
North Africa to the gates of In
dia, and is participated in by all
social classes from the top to the
bottom, although its chief initia-
tors and carriers are the young
intelligensia.
Its roots are pre-eminently psy-
Geological, and its impetus Is sub
jective, emotional, and therefore
irrational.
This being true of all great
movements that have affected his
tory. arguments in logic bounce
of them with complete ineffectu-
ality.
I have already written about
the Sudan. I might argue, and
argue sincerely, that Egypt, with
her own very great internal prob
lens, would do better to allow the
Sudan issue to ride for another
decade. with the British continu-
ing to take the responsibility for
an area where they have per-
formed an outstanding job, and
consistently protected the chief
Egyptian interest-namely, the
waters Of the Nile, which Egypt
cannot possibly allow to fall into
unfriendly hands.
I could also truthfully report
that certain important Egyptian
share that view. as do certain in
telligent Sudanese-when they
speak privately. But I am aware,
at the same time. of its irrele-
vance. The fact that they speak
privately-and never publicly-is
more important than what they
say. What is relevant is the real
ity Of the historical movement
not its justification. for better or
for worse.
There is nothing in the concept
OF sef-government that guaran-
tees better government. But once
that idea is planted in mems
minds, and has become associa-
ted with the companion idea of
national and racial equality. it
spreads like a forest fire, fed by
thousands Of long-accumulated
resentments. And the real, or
claimed, material, education, and
technical superiority of those
against whom it is directed. do
not alleviate, but enhance it.
Thus. in Khartoum, I had a.
conversation with one Of the more
fanatic supporters of complete
union with Egypt. He spoke i'm
peccable English, and owed his
entire education and consequent
position to Great Britain. He
spoke. even with nostalgia, of his
years IN England, expressing him
self an admirer of Anglo-Saxon
law and British civilization, But |
when I asked, why, then, do YOU |
want these few Englishmen to /
leave the Sudan?" he answered.
Because I am an Arab, and be-
cause the British think they are
better than we. In England, where |
I was a guest. I was invited to dine 1
IN British homes. In the Sudan.
where the British are our guests,
I have never been admitted into a |
British family household"
\ X r X
Similarly, in Abadan, Iran. the |
great Anglo-Iranian oil city, living
in superb groves of date palms,
with neat streets of stone-built |
houses, gardens. and magnificent
factories. the whole covering square
miles Of territory, is absolutely
dead. Not chimney was smoking
when I was there. The company |
paid the Iranian treasury $50 mil
lion annual income, and that
treasury. now without the income.
must also pay q million dollars all
month Gas I recall the figures) inl|
wages to workers. unemployed, or
only part-time employed on made
work projects. No one visiting
Abadan can believe that in income,
security. and amenities, Abadan
workers were not better of than
the average Iranian peasant or
worker. II
But ] talked with a. former en-
ploye. II am" he said. "a grad
uate chemical engineer, from a
British university - and witht|
honors. Miss Thompson. I neverI|
rose in this plant above superior
clerical supervisory position-hir-
ing personnel. No Iranian, what
ever his qualifications, ever was in
q position tn rive orde,.s IN az