Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-21

VII tIllS Trip lie Was uOC Col
a mission of peace in Palestine
President Eisenhower. 1T give:
me great pleasure" Mr.. Eisen-
hover wrote, Ito appoint you az
my personal representative, with
the personal rank of ambassador
for the purpose of undertaking
a mission to resolve certain
problems affecting the Neal
East"
Mr.. Johnston was to start BY
tackling the dispute anon 8
Israel and the Arab nations over
use of the water flowing in the
River Jordan. He hoped tc
persuade the hostile nations tc
agree on something like the
Tennessee Valley Authority tc
develop and divide up the water
for irrigating the thirsty lands
If new lands could be cultivated
First Major Effort
Mr.. JohnSon'S mission was the
first major effort of the Eisen-
hover administration to grapple
with the Middle East'S problems,
and it is still very much alive to-
day. Agreement has been reached
on the technical level by en-
gineers of Israel, Syria. Lebanon
and Jordan, the countries that
would share the River Jordan
water. plus Egypt.
Political agreement is fal
harder, but Mr.. Johnston hopes
joint development of water re-
sources may yet prove an ap.
proach toward political settle.
ment. He is working on the
matter daily. having seen both
President Eisenhower and U. N
Secretary General Dag Hammar-
skiold on it last week. He prob.
ably will make still another triI
to Palestine. The United State.
stands ready to assume up II
three-fourths of the 5000 million
cost of the Jordon Valley de.
velopment.
The Israel-Arab hostility wa
the focal point of the Middl,
East problem. but numerou
other complications were to arise
largely as a result of Soviet in
trigue.
In Iran. Premier Mossadegl
Cancelled the British oil conces
sion and seized the wells ant
ref1nerieS. Mr.. Eisenhower sen
out a troubleshooter who was al
expert in the oil industry
Herbert c. Hoover, jr., now I'm
der Secretary of State. He helped
materially to bring about a set
Element of the Anglo Iranial
dispute. When the Mossadegl
regime was overthrow. troubles
Iran moved into the camp of tn
free nations instead of gettini
sucked into the Soviet orbit.
Soviet Evinces Interest
The interest of the Soyie
Union in Africa was made clea
in January, 1856, when it sen
its first ambassador to Libya-
Nikolai /. Generalov-with al
extraordinarily large diplomats
delegation which approached To-
persons. He ensconsced himsel
and staff near Wheelus Field
the American air base outsid
Tripoli.
the diplomatic zealots have ex
tended their influence beyond tn
borders of Libya.
President Eisenhower and Sec
rotary of State Dulles, aware
OF the Soviet designs, sought tt
form a non-Communist allianc,
in the Middle East. The hop,
was thwarted when Egypt, swep
by a wave of nationalist assert,
iveness, demanded that Grea
Britain abandon its large mill
tary and air base in the Sue.
Canal zone.
On February "a, 1855, Turke,
and Iraq signed a treaty of mu
tual cooperation. The Eisen
hover administration initiated
the original suggestion for sucl
a move. Out Of 1t grew what i
now known as the Baghdad pact
although its official name is Mid
die East Treaty Organization
tMETO). patterned after NATO
Great Britain and Pakistan sooi
Joined and. later Iran.
Despite British, urging, tn,
United States has not officiall,
Joined the Baghdad pact.
Baesdad Pact Stirs Egypt
The Baghdad pact had tn
effect Of heapinR Goals on III
fires OF Egyptian nationalism
Premier Canal Abdel Nasser