Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-15

HNStSHs w ~ JSS'~ ~ 'NheSf~ $50
Service he leorned to think os much
like an Arob as Briton and become
known os Club Posho. This is the
fourth Of O series OF six articles by
Gen. Club, ousted from his post two
weeks. ego by King Hussein.
hostile dictators is a free" radio
station, to be controlled by
political refugees who fled their
country to avoid persecution.
In the Middle East, where
there is still a considerable pro-
portion of people who cannot
read easily and quickly, the
radio is more important and
more powerful than the press.
There is radio set in every
village, in every barrackroom
or canteen or mess in the army.
One blares in every restaurant
and coffee shop, and can be
heard right across the street
Press Can, Be Bought
Next after the radio comes
the press. The great majority
of the newspapers in the Middle
EAST can be bought and will
publish anything in return for
The British do not like
giving money to newspapers. It
seems to them to be bribery. But
no other government that I
know of has such scruples.
There is another way of look
ing at this problem. If there is
a parliamentary election in Eng
land. the rival candidates hire
a public hall in which to explain
their policy to their constituents
Nobody considers this to be
bribing the owner of the hall.
Now if you hire a newspaper
in the East, you can get your
policy across to the public just
as the parliamentary candidate
does by making speech in a
public hall. If he does not hire
a hall for his meeting, his con-
stituents cannot find out what
his policy is.
It will be noted that the diff
terence lies in our conception
If the role of a newspaper. In
a paper is supposed to
nave an opinion of its own, and
o give it money to change that
opinion is therefore bribery. But
n the Middle East a paper is
lust platform on which you can
state your policy. If you hire the
hall, you can explain your views.
If you don't hire the hall. the
public cannot find out what your
policy is. And this is exactly
what happens to British policy in
the Middle East.
Most Of the newspapermen in
Jordan were excellent fellows and
lutte good friends of mine. but
;hings their papers said about me
we're often far from courteous
u even true.
A few weeks ago, one paper
a particularly scurri-
GUS article. Next day the editor
Jailed at my Office with disarm-
ng smile. Il hope you were not
annoyed about that editorial,
Pasha," he said. Would you be-
ieve that the text came to my
office with $500 in banknotes
pinned to it, from a certain en-
oassy? You've got a wife and
'amily yourself. A man has to
i've, you know He smiled and
offered me a cigarette.
Perhaps I should have offered
him 5000 to publish my re-
joiner, but as I had no money,
we had cup of coffee and called
it a day.
OF course, the cold war is not
solely limited to words. Putting
time bombs in the garden of a
rival embassy is quite fun. I'll
should be done in cooperation
With the radio and the press \
who attribute the outrage to the \
resentment of the local popula- 4
lion.
A time bomb once exploded
against the wall of my house
and broke all the windows. It'll
happened at II am. My wife 4
was in bed with influenza and
fortunately was lying on her side |
with her back to the window |
Her hair was full of broken
glass, but she was otherwise un-
lurt.
We have all heard that the
pen is mightier than the sword. |
but we Go not seem really to
nave taken it to heart. In the
East today, the wireless
set and the printing press are
waging a relentless and mercilessI
war.
Britain should turn all her
energies to these weapons. Her
best and most energetic young
men should be posted to organize
ler publicity. l would never tell
/ lie. But tell them the truth
good and strong and loud. Truth
S fatal to dictators and racket
GERS Give it to them straight
rom the shoulder.
When l arrived in London last
week, I was beseiged by news
When l eventually
got away from the questioning
/ middle-aged man standing
nearby gave me a broad smile.
We'll, sir" he said. MY old