Evening star., 1956-03-26

Within the old city walls. where
United States Marines. there is
one of the finest Medinas tArab
dlStrictS) in the world. And one
of the few where Europeans-or
AmericanS-can still wander
aimlessly, soaking up the scenery.
peering into shops and taking
pictures with relative safety.
Within limits. of course. Visi-
tors are urged to keep clear of
the old city after dark. and to
stick together in groups of five
OF so on their sightseeing expedi-
tions. Photographing women,
draped IN their voluminous bar
racans, which expose nothing
but one eye, is discouraged in the
interest of public order.
We also discovered that trying
to take pictures of bakery shops
for some reason provokes SINH
lar objections on the part of the
Arabs.
Westerners are likely to be
spat at from time to time-not
as a personal reproach, but SIM
ply a precaution to ward of the
evil eye. On a couple of occasions
in the course of an hours tour,
we were invited loudly in what
we took to be well-turned Arabic
phrases to shove off.
Relatively Hospitable
Nevertheless. compared to al
most any other place in North
Africa, this can be rated as a
hospitable town. Compared to
conditions, say, in Casablanca
Or Algiers where Europeans sell
dom venture into native dis
tricts without a heavily armed
escort, the atmosphere is highly
congenial. And it is the hope Of
keeping it so that gives Libya
a special significance in the
North African scheme of things.
Some factors seem to favor the
West. Here. at least, the burning
issue of independence is no prob
lem. The United Kingdom of
Libya was created by the United
Nations five years ago, ending
the trusteeship that inherited
Mussolini's empire. But those who
prescribe independence as cure
all for African problems may
find Libya a somewhat depress-
ing place to visit. This country
which provided one of the great
backgrounds for the European
powers in World War II, today is
the scene of one of the most
critical diplomatic struggles of
the cold war between East and
West.
The reason is quite simple. In
dependent as it is, Libya lacks
just about everything that allows
a state to live in the modern
world. 1t is, perhaps, the perfect
example of what the French
mean when-referring to their
own North African provinces
they speak of people mot yet
capable of self-government." In
dependence does not change the
basic fact that, in order to sur
vive. Libya needs outside aid in
large quantities. And since who-
ever supplies this aid will pretty
well run the country. Libya still
represents a vacuum which sew
eral larger powers are more than
eager to fill.
Nearly Complete
The vacuum is nearly complete.
A huge country-larger than the
whole Of Western Europe-is
populated by less than is mil
lion, most Of them wandering
Bedouin Arabs. The vast bulk of
the land is uninhabited desert.
The average income is estimated
at less than $50 a year.
There is almost a total absence
of trained leaders-doctors, law
yers or administrators. There is
no university, no hospital, no
banking system. nothing but the
most primitive industry. The
main exports are esparto grass,
used in making bank-notes, and
scrap metal picked up from
World War II battlefields. In all
Libya, there is said to be only
one native engineer, who also
happens to be the Prime Min
lister. There is one hard-surface
road, running along the coast
between Egypt and Tunisia.
Until recent months, the prob
lem of filling the Libyan vacuum
was left to the Western powers.
The British. Americans and
French, along with the U.N.,
have played the major roles.
The British took the problem
most seriously, supplying direct
financial aid to the Libyan Gov
ernment to the tune of more
than $40 million a year, training
the 1.300-man army and police
force and maintaining consid-
cradle military establishment of
their own.
The American contribution is
about So million, partly in eco
ncmic assistance of the Point
Four kind. and partly direct as
sistance in return for the right
to operate the elaborate airbase
at Wheelus Field. The French,
who once controlled the entire
southern part of the country
known as the Fezzan are on their
way out. But in return for the
right to station several small
garrisons of Foreign Legionnaires
in this area, they pay about 81
million a year.
No Clear Field
Today, however. the Western
powers no longer enjoy anything
like a clear field in the ihuon