Friday, September 7, 1956—THE DETR OIT JEWISH NEWS-2
Purely Commentary:
The New Year 5717: It will Be an
Exciting, Possibly an Uncomfort-
able, Year, But an Interesting One
The New Year we have just ushered in may
"To prevent a glut of crude, the wells in most
be a very tense one, but it will be an interesting one.
fields are held under proration and pump or flow
All our problems will be old ones. There will
only slightly more than one-half the days of each
be no new incidents to mar our existence, but the
month.
old ones surely will be aggravated.
"By taking oil out of the ground slowly, gas
pressures can be better maintained. This helps bring
No one can foretell whether this will be a year
a larger total recovery of oil from a field than would
of peace or whether we will again feel as if we
were on the brink of war. In spite of the Egyptian-
be possible if the wells were allowed to produce
pell-mell.
Russian alliance and Nasser's threats to the West,
"If there were a big need for oil, most wells
it is our feeling that there will be no war. But the
could be put into heavier production. It has been
cold war_ is on, and we must face facts as they are.
estimated that existing wells could turn out up to
Israel will be sold down the river if her friends
2 million more barrels daily. This is about eight
are not on the alert. There is no longer disagree-
times the 258,000 barrels daily that were coming
ment on a major premise: that war in the Middle
here last year from the Middle East.
East could mean another world war. Our defense of
Israel and our demands that she be provided with
"The big threat of a stoppage in Middle Eastern
arms for self-defense—thereby discouraging a war—
oil shipments is not to the United States but to
Europe.
are, we contend, in the interests of world peace.
"Since 1945 European nations have been build-
The appeals for Israel won't have easy sailing.
ing an economy that has been based upon oil from
There are the oil interests to contend with. There
Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran. Closing of
are the simple anti-Semites. There is the Arab lobby
the Suez Canal to oil shipments, or nationalization
that has been strengthened by the self-hating Jews
of the Middle East oil properties, would make pe-
who haie given it encouragement.
troleum products more expensive to European im-
It'll be a difficult battle, and we must be pre-
porters. -
pared for serious debates.
"It might force such nations to return to an
*
*
*
Let us hope for the complete clarification of the - economy based upon coal or, as an alternative, seek
one based on atomic energy.
muddled oil issue. Too many people have been
"In 1945 the United States was producing 66
frightened into believing that assistance to Israel
per cent of the world's oil. Although output here
will so anger the Arabs that they will stop the flow
increased from 1.7 billion barrels in 1945 to 2.4 bil-
of oil into this country; that the Arabs may divert
lion in 1955, our share of world production dropped
oil to Russia. Saudi Arabia even threatened the
to 45 per cent.
destruction Of American oil refineries in reprisal
"Lush production from Middle East fields helped
for America's anti-Egyptian stand on the Suez Canal
boost output of the rest of the world from 1 billion
issue. What are the facts?
to 3 billion barrels in the same decade.
There is plenty of oil in this country and the
output can be increased. Details are contained in
"Great Britain in 1955 imported about 164 mil-
the following article by Ed Kandlik in the Chicago
lion barrels of petroleum, with about two-thirds
Daily News:
coming from Kuwait. This is only about 8 per .cent
of U. S. output."
"Stoppage of the flow of Middle East oil through
the Suez Canal would pose no major threat to the
This being the case, it would be an outrage to
American motorist.
permit false propaganda to becloud the issue, to
"The American petroleum industry is self-suffi-
endanger Israel's position and to increase threats
of a world war.
cient as far as supplies of oil and refinery capacity
*
*
*
are concerned.
"While some large American companies both
We are compelled to return to another issue:
import and export crude petroleum and petroleum
that involving the Arab refugees, the question of
products, this is not dohe because of a shortage of
compensation to Arabs by Israel and the minority
problem in Israel.
available supplies here. The foreign oil can be ob-
tained more cheaply and yields larger profits. It
Propagandists are at work to harm Israel
could be replaced with domestically produced sup-
through misrepresentation of facts. While the Arab
plies.
problem is being perpetuated by the Arab nations
"America's growing oil imports are already
as a wea•-- oainst Isra0 spokesmen in this
under fire from the coal interests and small htde-
country
poisoning t'
riinds of Americans
pendent petroleum producers here. They are seeking
against,
- ' the same 44 -ne
federal legislation to limit imports of oil. This would
en courab
help assure a higher-priced market for their output.
"In 1955 the deinestit;' petroleum industry pro-
duced 6,71)(1;000 Barrels of crude oil daily and im-
poz
ported 1,236,000 barrels. Bulk of the imports came
peor
_
from Venezuela with the remainder from the Middle
Pr'
squarely. It will be
East and Canada.
the problems truthfully so
"About three-fourths of the oil produced in the
that our mm-Jewish fellow-Americans should not
United States comes from four states—Texas, Cali-
be blinded by untruths.
fornia, Louisiana and Oklahoma. The wells in most
For this purpose, we need a better public rela-
of these states do not produce at capacity.
tions program than has been evident until now. If
By Philip
Slomovitz
we do not attain it this year, 'American Jews as
well as Israel will be the losers.
*
*
*
Initially, the New Year 5717 is enlivened by
the current Presidential campaign. Already, Israel
has been injected into the campaign by planks in
both the Republican and Democratic party platforms.
Let us be prepared for all eventualities. After
the Democratic National Convention, the Scripps-
Howard newspapers charged that the Democrats'
Israel plank "is the result of Zionist pressure and
aimed at the pro-Israel vote." If this applies to
the Democrats, it is equally applicable to the Re-
publicans. But we deny the implication.
The truth is that prior to both national conven-
tions Arab propagandists had started a drive against
Israel, in messages to leaders of both parties. The
less than one-tenth of one per cent of self-hating
Jews, headed by Alfred M. Lilienthal and his co-
horts in the Council for Judaism, made appearances
before both platform committees in efforts to pre-
vent any help to Israel. Israel's friends triumphed
—in the interest of peace in the Middle East and
the world. But they will be heard from again, and
they and their arguments must be met head-on.
The Republican platform declares:
"We regard the preservation of Israel as an
important tenet of American foreign policy. We are
determined that the integrity of an independent
Jewish state shall be maintained. We shall support
the independence of Israel against armed aggres-
sion. The best hope for peace in the Middle East
lies in the United Nations. We pledge our continued
efforts to eliminate the obstacles to a lasting peace
in this area."
The Democratic platform goes farther, pledging
arms for Israel's defense.
There must be no deviation from this basic
understanding, and the principles laid down in the
party platforms of both parties must be made the
basis for efforts to get Arabs and Israelis together,
at a peace table, to put an end to the conflict be-
tween the cousin-nations.
* * *
Indeed, 5717 won't be an easy year for us. There
will be problems on the home front. There will be
the world issues. We must be prepared to meet all
problems with courage and with dignity, in the best
interests of our people and our country.
Yes, it will be an interesting year, even if there
will be discomforts in public discussions.
During the Arab riot -,years of 1936 - 1939,
Maurice Samuel, the distinguished author, was in
Israel. He reported an interesting incident on a
bus. The driver had given an order for all to lay
flat on the floor during an attack upon the bus. Next
Samuel stretched out on the floor of that bus, was
bearded gentleman, who commented: "Es •
ober interessant"—"it is not comfort-
.
-is interesting."
That's how it may be in 5717. It may not be
comfortable but it will be interesting. Recognizing the
issues, and being prepared for an onslaught by bigots,
we should be able to destroy myths and meet all
difficulties.
Fearlessly, in this spirit, we extend our hearty
New Year greetings to the entire community.
Five-Point Program for Stability in Middle East Presented by
American Jewish Committee To State Department, U.S. UN Delegations
NEW YORK—A comprehen- other governmental assistance
sive five-point plan for peace as well as aid from private
and stability in the Middle foundations directed toward the
East, embodying recommenda- long term needs of the region
tions for action by both the as a whole and "consistent
State Department and the U. S. with U. S. policies in promoting
Delegations to the U.N., has peace and stability." Under this
been sent to Secretary of State point, the study said that suc-
John Foster Dulles. cessful completion of the
The proposals were derived Johnston Plan of the Jordan
from an extensive study pre- Valley development would
pared by the American Jewish raise the standard of living for
Committee, a non-Zionist or- the entire area and contribute
ganization, and made public by substantially to successful re-
Irving M. Engel, president of settlement of nearly a fifth of
the committee.
the 900,000 Palestine Arab ref-
One of the principal prem- ugees."
ises of the plan is that there
2. Accelerate the process of
is at the present time "little accommodation between t h e
possibility of a reasoned Arab states and Israel by urg-
Western peace based on ing an extension of the activi-
negotiated settlement" in the
ties of the U.N. Mixed Armis-
Mid-East mesh of "socio-
tice Commission. Here the
Political complications and study called for the encourage-
explosive emotional tension." ment of agreements pertaining
Rather, the plan puts forth to border patrols; the return
the basic assumption that of property and 'persons acci-
due to bitterness and long dentally crossing the Arab-
sm o 1 d e ring dissatisfaction Israeli frontiers; the expansion
"much more time will be
of health measures of mutual
needed until both sides have
benefit, and the reuniting of
learned to adjust themselves more families.
to the realities of Arab-
3. Increase the power and
Israeli relationships."
personnel of United Nations
The core of the plan, there- Truce Supervisory Organiza-
fore, involves the following tion (UNTSO) by having its
proposals: decisions backed by interna-
l. Economic and technical tional sanctions against any
assistance on a greatly ex- aggressor. Under this proposal,
panded basis "to combat pov- the plan states that the im-
erty and disease, raise produc- mediate problem is to prevent
tivity and living standards." "flare-ups "from spreading into
Action here includes enlarge- a "major conflagration." With
ment of the Point Four pro- repeated debates at the U. N.
gram, grants in aid, loans ,and and censor motions described
as "no cure," the study calls underscored, "must be a con-
for sanctions against aggressors commitant of our other ob-
in the form of boycott, block-
jectives."
ade or both.
The Soviet Union's infiltra-
4. Make available defensive tion of the Middle East has
arms to any nation in the Mid- been increasing, the plan
dle East which accepts the fol- charged, and will "continue un-
loWing conditions: a mutual til the U. S. and its allies deal
security pact with U. S. pro- fully with the real nature of
viding for joint action against the Soviet threat."
aggression; permission of
The study pointed out that
greater freedom to UNTSO
forces in sensitive border areas, the fundamental problem is not
and acceptance of sufficient communist idealogy but rather
control so that arms provided "the successful exploitation of
would be used for defensive Middle East grievances dis-
purposes only. The recommen- content with age-old economic
dations suggested that the arms and social ills, fear of Western
proposal be carried out, under imperialism, and fear and re-
U.N. jurisdiction and operated sentment of Israel."
Taking cognizance of the bit-
by disinterested nations such
as Sweden, Denmark, India, terness and tensions in the area
Burma or South American which have been "persistent de-
countries.
terrents to Middle East stabil-
5. Convert the Baghdad pact ity," the study focused on the
from an instrument primarily "hopeful signs in Arab-Israel
of military importance to one relations" where both sides have
geared for "economic coopera- moved "toward compromise
tion" aimed at "constructive when they felt assured it would
social change." The plan said not jeopardize their vital na-
that "general hostility to the tional interest."
pact would decrease; its mem-
This possible "evolving pat-
bership might be substantially
tern of accommodation be-
increased; and the prestige of tween Israel and her neigh-
the U. S. would be raised."
bors" can serve as a basis for
Taking as its starting point
progress and may "ultimately
the aim of protecting and
replace profitless friction."
maintaining American inter-
The study added: "The West
ests in the Middle East, the does not yet possess - the means
plan stressed that "without to create an environment for
peace and stability" in that immediate peace. But, through
area, "efforts to contain the its encouragement of accommo-
Soviet Union and protect dation and constructive social
American interests may well change, supported by effective
prove fruitless." Stability, it guarantees against the use of
force by either side, it can hast-
en the day when peace will be
a reality."
The plan summarized areas
of past agreement:
a. Arab agreement to discuss
peace on the basis of the 1947
partition resolution and refugee
repatriation.
b. Cairo's agreement with
U.N. Relief and Works Agencies
to open territory in the Sinai
Peninsula for resettlement of
60,000 to 70,000 of the Gaza refu-
gees.
c. Israel admission of 30,000
refugees to unite with their
families.
d. Israel's release of approxi-
mately $12,000,000 in frozen
funds from blocked Arab refu-
gee accounts.
e. Israel's offer as part of a
final peace setlement to permit
Egyptian transit through the
country and to make Haifa
available to Jordan as a free
port.
f. Arab efforts to curb infil-
tration.
g. Israel-Jordan cooperation
to curb malaria.
As a general principle, the
plan pointed out that "physical
containment of the Soviet
Union, although vital to the
Free World existence, is not
enough." A global program is
needed "whose success very
largely depends upon the ex-
tent to which America itself
proves capable of meeting hu-
man needs."
411141b