Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-10-27
D. 5. Seeking
TO Block Probe
'OfIurkish Arms
LEE NJ. COIN

The United States viii do
Its best % block dispatch Of
| q United Nations investigate
ing commission to the tense
Turkish-eyrian BORDER because
ofiicials fears Russian propa-
gandists would exploit damag-
ing circumstantial evidence.
IT'S true. American sources
concede. that q commission
would and heavy concentra-
lions OF arms and troops In
Turkey near the syrian border
Turkey and the United States
deny Russian charges that
they plan TO attack Red
oriepted Syria, but the evidence
might look black.
American strategists are.
banking almost entirely on
quiet diplomacy 10 settle the
Tnrkish-Syrian crisis. which
could explode into World war
III. They hope to avoid full-
scale debate In the y. N. Gem
eral Assembly. But they are
ready with ammunition Just ip|
case.
Debate. as with an investi-|
eating commission. would play
into the hands Of Soviet prop
agandlsts who want to keep the
Middle East stirred up and thus
vulnerable TO subversion. ac-|
cordlng to State Department
estimates Of Russian strategy
Saud Main Hope
King saud OF Saudi Arabia
yesterday withdrew his ofier to
mediate the Turkish-Syri
dispute. according 70 Associ-
|ated Press reports from Syria.
He was the main hope for foil |
Ing the Russians BY suhdulng
tough talk.
Turkey Is q relatively small
country with q big army. 80 |
naturally some Of the troops
are near the Syrian border.
American ofiicials say in par
tial explanation Of their oppo- |
sition to an investigating COM
mission. Besides. they add. in.
vestigators would see 3 lot Of
ornaments accumulated BY
Turkey as q member Of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organi-
Eation. and these arms have
nothing TO do with Syria"
The United States also OBJ /
jects to an investigating COM
mission because the assign-
ment would be too narrow. II
Russia agreed to investigation
OF Soviet areas near Turkey.
and Of Communist maehina-
tons inside Syria. the United
states might approve . COM
mission. Only such . broad
probe would uncover the real
sources Of tension. Spokesman /
argue.
But they know Russia would I
not agree to an investigation \
Of such scope.
Even II q commission drafted \
q majority report generating /
the United States and Turkey I
Of aggressive plots. there al
most certainly would be q
minority report from q Russian 4
stooge. American sources fear.
The Soviets would seize on the
dissent to make more propa-
ganda.
Besides" q United States
ofiicial snapped. why should |
we always be the ones TO agree |
to investigating commissions? !
The Russians certainly haven't ]
co-operated In Investigation Of
Hungary"
Fears Harassment
II q precedent Is set In the
Turkish Syrian rift. the Rus
SLAMS probably would use In
vestigating commission to
harass the West all over the
world. he fears.
The United States remains |
hopeful Of lining up enough l
U. N. votes 10 reject an investi- II
cation commission. and possibly |
to postpone full debate.
Some Arabs repeatedly have
been pressing Syria to accept
mediatlon--so far without sue
cess. Arab unity apparently |
won q round when King Saud
withdrew his mediation offer.
He had been called "an Ameri-
can stooge" for trying to settle
the dispute quietly.