Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-01-26
View From
The U. N.
BY NED MAKDIsI
Special Writer .or The Star

where the Baghdad pact nations
win begin their two-week confer
ence Monday. And one has only to
discuss the meeting with those
delegates TO realize the difiiculties
Secretary Of State Dulles faces in
his efforts to keep the Vests Arab
bloc intact.
II Is clear. OF course. that Mos
cows long-range goal Is to replace
Western powers IN the Middle
East. But in the opinion Of most
Arab observers. the immediate So
Wet objective is to neutralize the
area militarily: that is. to preclude
its use by both East and West.
That approach has some appeal TO
nationalist Arab elements.
This objective was made clear
last week. 1t Is felt. when a spokes-
man for the Soviet Foreign Min
istry warned Middle Eastern
countries that the United States
was planning. through the pact.
to set up nuclear missile bases
within their boundaries. which
would be q threat to their exist
ence and to their religious shrines.
Sensitive forget
The atheistic and antireligious
philosophy Of communism. which
Is well-known to the Arabs, adds
hypocrisy TO the absurdity Of that
warning. as the American State
Department has pointed out. The
fact remains that the Soviet Union
was cleverly aiming at a most
sensitive spot--Arab religious feel
ings-in its effort to arouse a
preconference wave Of resentment
against the pact and against the
United States as its sponsor.
1t is accepted here. however.
that the Arab masses do not need
any extra impetus to their an
tagonism toward the pact. During
the last two weeks the Arab press.
even In pro- western Lebanon. has
been vehemently attacking the
Ankara conference. An infiuen-
tial Cairo newspaper declared in
an editorial last week that the
recent unofficial" Asian-African
conference in Cairo-with Its
strong pro- Communist tone-has
all but wrecked the Baghdad pact
and brought Mr.. Dulles to Ankara
to try and mend the damage.
The leading magazine in Leba-
non implied that Mr.. Dulles has
become convinced Of the futility
Of the pact as Q defensive ar
Yangement in the Middle East.
Even in Iraq. the Baghdad pact Is
reported TO be unpopular among
the masses who feel. rightly or
wronglyy that II has caused dis
unity among the Arab states.
Reasons Ascribed
II such be the feeling In the
Middle East toward the Bashdad
pact. what then is the purpose Of
Mr.. Dulles decision to attend the
Ankara meeting? Middle East
observers here ascribe three rea-
sons for the Secretary's trip:
First. they say. in spite Of the
fact that the West has lost con-
siderable ground in the Middle
East. the area has not been al
together written of as q western
sphere Of influence. Mr.. Dulles
presence in Ankara will lend pres
tige to the conference and give the
pro-Western Mideast nations q
much-needed shot Of confidence.
Second. Mr.. Dulles trip is seen
here as some evidence that the
United States seeks to shift the
emphasis from military to eco
nomic programs In the Middle
East. The Secretary will argue.
IL is predicted. that an increase In
the economic aspects Of the Bagh-
dad pact will help TO popularize
1t. at the same time offsetting the
latest Soviet economic offensive In
the area. While Soviet propaganda
could be. and In fact has been.
very effective against the military
nature Of the pact, 1t can achieve
very little in denouncing an al
lance Of mutual economic CO.
operation among Middle Eastern
countries.
Third. Mr.. Dulles Is expected to
consult with our allies in the Mid
lie East on matters pertaining to
their area which might be dis
cussed in a summit meeting be-
tween the United States and the
Soviet Union-should there be one.
BY comforting with them and
sounding their opinion. he will
give the impression that the
United States will not take uni
lateral decisions affecting the
Middle East in the event Of a
meeting.
Points for Speculation
There has been much specula-
ton on two major questions per-
tanning TO the Ankara conference:
% Will the United States join
the Baghdad pact. and az will
any other Middle Eastern nations
be likely to join?
The pact members have been
insisting that the United States
become a full-fledged member Of
their organization. The three Mid
die East members argue that since
the United States Is now In the
process OF filling the vacuum Gre
ated as a consequence Of Britain's
participation in the 1856 invasion
Of Egypt, II is imperative that
II participate fully in the activi-
ties Of the alliance.
Iraq. in particular. is most
anxious TO see the United States
come in. because Of the great loss
Of prestige Britain has suffered
among Arabs following the Suez
invasion.
Arab sources here, however. do
not expect the United States to
Join the pact at this meeting. Nor
do they expect the pact TO gain
new Arab support at this time.
II Is felt that Jordan. Lebanon,
and Saudi Arabia, while In general