Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-21

Its name: Kagnew Station.
The station. which acts as a
In the United States world wide
communications net. has been
quietly growing since 1912.
The Army Signal Corps came
to this coastal territory on the
Red Sea on the heels of Gen.
Platt's victorious Cameron High
landers and Indian divisions and
took over Radio Marina. the
existing Italian communications
setup.
Internal Eritrean political un-
rest and quarreling among the
Great Powers resulted in Err
treas being left under British
administration until 1852, When
the former Italian colony, which
many Eritreans had thought
would become a United States
trust under the United Nations
because Of Kagnew Station and
an American salvage base at
nearby MasSw. was federted with
Ethiopia, the United States
signed a 25-year lease with En-
peror Halle SelasSie's govern
ment.
Kagnew proved its value TO the
United States during the Korean
War: bad weather conditions
over the Pacific often garbled or
delayed messages. Sent via Kag-
new, which sits 1865 feet above
sea level and smack in the mid
die of an almost perfect weather
belt for radio work, the message
always got through In the light
OF recent Middle Eastern devel-
opments. Kagnew's value has
been enhanced as a monitoring
point.
Few Unpleasant Incidents
The bases estimated 1000 Of
ficers and men are seldom seen
In Asmara and unpleasant Incl
dents between GIs and Eritreans
are infrequent.
The reason: A policy which
Kagnew's commanding officer,
Col. Ormon Charles terms using
the carrot instead of the stick. .
The carrot is a mighty big and
Juicy one. II includes: The Army's
first television station cit gives
one quite a shock to walk into
an espresso shop and see bare
footed natives with gold rings
In their ears watching Disney
land), the best chocolate milk
shakes south Of Rome" 55-cent
T-bone steaks. a burgeoning
sports program. University Of
Maryland extension courses. in
struction in Italian, organized
hunting trips and educational
tours to points Of particular in
terest throughout the Africa
Middle East area. church groups,
Boy Scouts, and a complete
school from first through 18th
grade.
The glories of the PX's milk
shakes and steaks have not
been wholly confined to the GIs;
Emperor Halle Selassie has found
them tasty as has the Chief Ex-
ecutive Of Eritrea, a more fire.
quent visitor.
AS a result of Col. Charles
policy of running a tight base,
the Army and Ethiopia have
coexisted happily. Contact be-
tween the base and town has
been sufficient. however. to ac-
count for about 100000 a month
in American spending AS this
is Ethiopia's principal source of
American dollars, Kagnew Sta
ton is priced by the native popu-
lace.
The impressive job which the
station performed during the
Korean War has resulted in a
construction program which will
greatly expand Kagnew's present
plant.
To Open in Summer
The new station, TO be located
at Centia, on the other side of
Asmara, is expected to be opera :
tive sometime this summer. In
addition to including such badly
needed facilities as a complete
laundry and dry cleaning plant
Can Eritrean dry-cleaner sends
back your suit looking like a
prize-winner at a hobo balD, .
separate chapel. and adequate
room for communication equip
ment. It will increase the Army's
acipage from 10 TO 30 and pro-
VII sufficient living quarters for
aHrtbachelor soldiers to live on
base. II will also allow for