Russia Could Be Bother In Middle East

Chronicle (Levin), 21 January 1949, Page 5

Russia Could Be Bother In Middle East

Received Thursdav, 7 p.m. LONDON, Jan. 20. A corresepondent of the Daily Telegraph, in an article reviewing the strategic importance of the Middle East oil supplies, suggests that the real objective behind Russia 's interferenee in the Middle East and her endegvours to influence Israel, is to put the Soviet Union in a position to interrupt oil supplies to Western Europe. These Middle East supplies, says the correspondent, todav represent the largest single eeonomie and strategic factor in the world and the lifeblood without which the whole economy of Western Europe would wither into depression and chaos. Alreadv these lields are supplying two-flfths of .Europe 's total oil consumption and by 1951 it is estimated that, with the assistance of a few million tons from the East Indies, they will be supplying the whole of the European demand. United States, the correspondent pointg put, is no longer a nett exporter of, oil .and although in an emergency American and Caribbean supplies mignt still be extended to meet European peefl.s, the dislocation caused by this would prove a c'rippling blow. The Palestiue confliet has already caused the closing dowu of th.e Haifa refineries which have ku aunual output of 4/100,000 tons, has caused the Irak Government to stop the supply of oil from Kirkuk to Haifa, and has caused the postponeiuent of an .ambitious programme of pipline copstruction which had been designed to increase Middle ■ East supplies. This inc-ludes the construetioh. of a 30-inch pipeline from the Saudi Arabiah fields to tlie Mediterranean and a 84-inch pipeline from the Persian lields to the Mediterranean. Tranquiiity, stability and security in the Middle East are essential conditions for the proper use of its oil reserves, says the correspondent, and sueh copditions cannot be assured until the Palestiue conflict is ended. There are now signs that renewed Communist efforts to cause strikes and other disturbances on the Middle East oil lields, mav be expeeted and that that Russia is exploiting tlie Palestine conflict with the object of throwing the Aliddle East into turmoil.