Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-04-16
by SIR JOHN BAGOT GLUBB

Nortn american Newspaper Alliance
LONDON. April 16.-One of
the most remarkable examples of
the skill of Communist tactics is
the flexibility with which they
identify themselves with any
popular movement, anywhere in
the world. The history of re-
cent events in Jordan is a case
in point.
I When Israel was constitutes
as an independent state in l94S,
the United States and Soviet
Russia were the first two gov
ernments torecognize her. When
fighting broke out between Jews
and Arabs, and the United
Nations Security Council forbade
the sale of warlike stores to
either side. Russia and her
satellites continued secretly to
supply arms to Israel.
When the armistice ended the
fighting nearly a year afterward,
Prime Minister Ben-Gurion sent
"a special message of gratitude
to the Soviet government.
The Middle East, until then,
had been a preserve of the
Western powers. where Russia
had no influence and no in
terests. Accustomed to fishing
in troubled waters, she was de-
sirous of promoting confusion in
an area so vital to the West,
and was presumably afraid that
Israel would be overrun.
Russia Changes Sides
She accordingly supported
what she considered to be the
weaker side. but once Israel was
firmly established and proved
herself literally stronger than
the Arabs, then the latter be-
came the aggrieved party. Russia
changed sides, denounced the
INSCRIPTIONS action OF the West
ern powers in creating israel
and offered full support to the
Arab victims of imperialism. -
So effective is Soviet propa-
ganda and SO short political
memories that the fact was for
gotten that Israel might have
collapsed in 1948 had she not
received weapons and aircraft
from behind the Iron Curtain.
In the last three years, Russia
has made great capital out of
her support for the Arabs, be
trayed by Western imperialists. :"
At first communism was never
mentioned. but nationalist re-
sentiment against the West as
the creator of Israel was ex-
plotted to the full.
Even while the mass shootings
and DECORATIONS were going on
in Eastern Europe. Russia was
posing in the Middle East as
the disinterested and idealistic
friend of the oppressed Arabs.
Nationalist See Chance
Few generous and enthusiastic
young men can resist the appeal
OF what appears to them a great
noble cause. The young King
Hussein of Jordan was certainly
not one to adopt a calm and
cautious attitude in face of so
emotional an issue as the wrongs
done to his country.
The nationalist saw their
chance and exploited it to the
fun. The policy of Jordan had
until then been guided by the
wise and cautious principles laid
down by Hussein's grandfather.
King Abdullah, who had been as
sasSinated in 1851.
Inc ola King had been no less
anxious than the extreme ma
tionaliSts to restore the fortunes
of his country, but he realized
the many dangers with which
he was surrounded. Not only was
his army tthen called the Arab
Legionl threatened by an Israeli
army seven or eight times as
numerous. but one-third of the
people in Jordan were destitute
refugees. His government was
bankrupt, and depended on a
British subsidy for its survival.
King Abdullah accordingly pro-
ceeded with patience and liberia
ton. He abstained from provok-
ing Israel and retained the
friendship Of as many other gov
as he could. He not only
with the Arab coun-
tries, but courted the assistance
OF Turkey. Pakiston and Iran
among Moslem states. while re-
"Our Second