Evening star., 1957-04-21

OF paper ana tnen accomplished
QUICKLY. a-~s-,
He is weak on economics, q
subject which requires long.
range planning and careful
thinking through of complex
operations. Most of Col. Nasser's
economic laws are f1ashy, un-
workable mish-mashes. When
they don't work, the regime
simply lets them lapse into dis
use.
He also is a prisoner of his
Eown country's background. For
eigners have dominated his land
since the days of the Pharaohs,
and Egyptians have been told
they are inferior and UNIT to
handle their own affairs. The
foreigners have for centuries
literally used the lash to secure
Egyptian obediance. A man who
must suffer under the whip in
the hands Of a foreigner who
has contempt for him has no
dignity. loses respect for himself
and his neighbors.
The Nasser group is not Of the
generation which has personally
felt the whip. though 1t is a fail
assumption the grandfathers Of
some Of the men did. But all OF
them saw the day when the
British army ringed Farollk's
palace with tanks and told him
to change his government
These men have AN almost
pathological hatred and fear oi
foreign domination and a pitifuI
yearning to prove their own dig.
nifty and worth to themselves
and the world.
When the Israelis almost con.
Itemptously wipe out an Egyptian
border post tthe Nasser grour
iguratively feels the lash again
When Mr.. Dulles urges interna.
tional supervision OF the Suez
Canal they see only a return Of
foreign domination When Mr.
Eisenhower talks about a Md
die East vacuum" they believe he
is ridiculing the ability Of Egyp-
tianS To rIlla themselves
Sudden Chance
The Nasser group with Its
background Of forced inferiority
has suddenly been siven the
chance to prove to a skeptical
wrold that it is not inferior
that world expects the clique to
show restraint!
| Col. Nasser Is also a victim OF
Arab rhetoric. An Arab when
making a public address cannot
say, II do not like your foreign
policy" Custom calls for him tc
say. II will crush you and your
Vaccinations, and may the gut
tiers overflow with your blood!'
The Arabs understand this-or
TO be more precise don't really
listen-but Israelis take it seri.
ously and so do many Western
statesmen.
/ President Nasser scared the
dickens out of the world with his
snarling, hate-filled speech an
nouncing the naturalization OF
the canal. The Arabs thought II
was a corker. Nasser has been
busy ever since explaining that
he didn't plan to close the canal
What results from the particu-
lar Nasser combination Of strong
and weak points? How, for in
stance. does it effect his relations
with the Western and the Com
munist worlds?
The West offers him complex
long-range solutions to his prob
lens and asks that he restrain
the full exercise Of his sovereignty
in the interest of his own en-
lightened self-interest and the
interest OF the Free World. The
complexities Of. say. an inter-
national administration Of his
canal discourage him, the volun-
tary REIMBURSEMENT Of some OF
Egypt's sovereignty repels him
and the effort of thinking
through to the ultimate conse-
quences Of it all is something
he'd rather not do.
/ He dislikes Israel. but the West
says be gentle with her. He wants
a dam at Aswan. but the West
says he should concentrate on
less spectacular. long range prof.
ects. He insists on the dam, SO
the West say, "Okay. but our
bankers must supervise your
spending"
The Russians offer him help
and encouragement without un-
comfortable demands. The Rus
slams support him in the United
Nations while the West makes
explanations about consistency
area-wide interests and possible
future repercussions.
Russians Direct
Past Western offers to be help
ful appeal to his social conscience
but the complex provisos irritate
him. Western explanations sound
like excuses and duplicity.
The Russians are direct. He
can understand their power plays
and he believes he can cope with
them. He has less confidence he
can handle Western sophistica-
ton.
! In recent statements Col. Mas