Dear Harold:1 Your cable of July 18 has just now reached me. Foster and Selwyn have had useful talks and I believe that our thinking on the common problem is identical. Our operations seem to be satisfactorily co-ordinated.2
One factor that has helped create for us the serious Mid East problem has been the Western failure to counteract or effectively neutralize the Nasser propaganda in that region.3 For ourselves we have long seen the danger growing out of this failure and felt we knew what material means we needed to wage an effective campaign. But the Congress has never seen eye to eye with us on this point. So we have lacked facilities, to say nothing of the needed technicians and local cooperation and cover.4
We know that Nasser has won the enthusiastic and even idolatrous support of the largely illiterate populations in the region. One reason has been his use of the slogan of nationalism, which is one force stronger than communism.5 We have failed to attract the spirit of nationalism to the support of Western ideals, while he has inspired it to support the concept of a Pan-Arab State. As a result, the government of other Mid East countries, in most cases based on feudalist traditions rather than on any popular sentiment, have been living in a precarious situation.6
While this subject could be enlarged upon both in its history and in its clamor for future attention, it is enough to say for the moment that I think we must concert our propaganda efforts not only in the countries already disaffected, but even more so in those regions which are still loyal to the West--or at least neutral. Libya, Sudan and Ethiopia need help.7
Naturally, no matter what we do in the field of information, education and propaganda, in nearly all cases we must also help friendly governments economically, militarily and politically.
We must try to bolster up both the loyalties and the military strength of Lebanon and Jordan.
Probably even more important is the area of the Persian Gulf. It seems to me that in this region we should exert ourselves on a very broad front--by this I mean political, propaganda, economic and military--to make sure of its retention in the Western orbit.
In a very definite sense Turkey and Iran have become key regions in the defense of the Mid East. We should bestir ourselves to see that they are sturdy allies, first in quality and second in quantity--insofar as that quantity can be provided and maintained.
Pakistan is important but the fears of India compel some caution in the extent of help to be given.
There is much to do and our resolution must measure up to the difficulty of the task. Moreover, the true source of our strength is the thoroughness of the understanding of our own people of these intricate problems. Democracies exert a tremendous power for accomplishment when there exists an overwhelming and favorable public opinion. An informed public opinion requires mass understanding. The evidence that our understanding is not all that it should be is found in the reluctance of Congress to appropriate money for information programs and mutual security costs, and economic improvement of less developed nations.
There is no question in my mind of the need for success in creating an informed public opinion here, and possibly in your country. If we can do this well it will spread throughout the whole Western world. If a vast majority of both our peoples stand four-square and sturdily behind the great effort to preserve the Mid East we need not fear either the dictators in the Kremlin or a puppet in Cairo.8
In the meantime, together, we have to keep plugging along with such wisdom as the Lord gives us to bring about a more prosperous and peaceful world.9
With warm regard, As ever
