Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-06

Middle East situation.
Mideast's Importance Cited
These things stress the i'm
mense Importance of the Middle
East. If the nations of that
area should lose their independ-
ence, If they were dominated by
alien forces hostile to freedom,
that would be both a tragedy
for the area and for many other
free nations whose economic life
would be subject to near stran-
gulation. Western Europe would
be endangered just as though
there had been no Marshall
Plan. no North Atlantic Treaty
Organization. The free nations
of Asia and Africa, too, would
be placed in serious jeopardy.
And the countries of the Middle
East would lose the markets upon
which their economies depend.
All this would have the most
adverse. If not disastrous, effect
upon our own Nations economic
life and political prospects.
Then there are other factors,
which transcend the material.
The Middle East is the birth
place of three great religions
Moslem, Christian and Hebrew.
Mecca and Jerusalem are more
than places on the map. They
symbolic religions which teach
that the spirit has supremacy
over matter and that the indi-
vidual has dignity and rights
of which no deSpotic government
can rightfully deprive him. 1t
would be intolerable if the holy
places of the Middle East should
be subjected to rule that glori-
fies atheistic materialism.
International communism, of
course, seeks to mask its purposes
of domination by expressions of
good will and by specifically at
tractive offers Of political. eco
nomic and military aid. But any
free nation, which is the subject
of Soviet enticement. ought, in
elementary wisdom, to look be-
hind the mask.
Baltic States Recalled
Remember Estonia, Latvia and
Lithuania. In 1899 the Soviet
Union entered into mutual as
Sistance pacts with these then
independent countries; and the
Soviet Foreign Minister. address,
ing the extraordinary fifth ses-
sion Of the Supreme So
Wet in october, 1899. solemn
ly and publicly declared that
I'VE stand for the scrupulous and
punctilious observance Of the
pacts on the basis of complete
reciprocity, and We declare that
all the nonsensicai talk about the
sovletization of the Baltic coun-
tries is only to the interest of
our common enemies and of all
anti-Soviet provocateurs." Yet
in 1910, Estonia. Latvia and
Lithuania were forcibly incor-
porated into the Soviet Union.
Soviet control of the satellite
nations of Eastern Europe has
been forcibly maintained in spite
of solemn promises Of contrary
intent, made during World
War II.
Stains death brought hope
that this pattern would change.
And we read the pledge of the
Warsaw Treaty of 1855 that the
Soviet Union would follow in
satellite countries the principles
of mutual respect for their in
dependence and sovereignty and
non-interference in domestic af-
fairs" But we have just seen
the subjugation of Hungary by
naked armed force. In the AFTER
math of this Hungarian tragedy,
world respect for and belief in
Soviet promises have sunk to a
new low. International COM
munism needs and seeks a rec
ognizable success.
Three Facts Listed
Thus. We have these simple
and indisputable facts:
/. The Middle East, which has
always been coveted by Russia.
would today be priced more than
ever by international commu-
niSm.
2. The Soviet rulers continue
to show that they do not scruple
to use any means to gain their
ends.
3. The free nations OF the Mid
east need. and for the most part
want, added strength to assure
their continued independence.
3.
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