Congressman Warns United States Against Arming Arab Countries

Congressman Thomas M. Pelly of the state of Washington warned Congress this weekend to go slow on giving arms aid to the Arab countries.

Calling attention to recent State Department statements that Arab countries have described themselves as “uncertain of themselves, uncertain of their friends and uncertain of their enemies,” Rep. L. Pelly warned that American grants of military equipment to Arab countries would be “a terrible mistake,” “A leaded gun isn’t something you give to someone if you are not sure how they are going to use it,” he said.

Citing the fact that the U.S. last year gave $30,000,000 worth of arms and military equipment to Arab countries, Pelly asserted that he had “heard rumors” that the U.S. “was on the point” of making large new arms grants to the Arab countries “How do we know,” he asked, “that such arms would not be used to defeat our own purposes? And how do we know that our military aid won’t simply stimulate the Arab states to renew their war on Israel and thus the very defenses we hope to strengthen, be destroyed?” He said American arms aid to Egypt, in particular, “would be a terrible mistake.”

RESTRICTIONS ON ARAB REFUGEE AID URGED BY CONGRESSMEN

Two Republican members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who visited nine Middle East countries, this weekend urged the United States to place firm restrictions on aid to the Near East to force easement of tensions in the region. The two, Reps. Lawrence H. Smith of Wisconsin and Winston L. Prouty of Vermont, stated that thousands of Arab refugees in camps throughout the Middle East were anti-American and anti-United Nations.

The two-man mission, which was told in Lebanon that their safety could not be assured in some of the Arab refugee camps, recommended that the refugees become citizens of the Arab states, that something be done to make them work rather than remain idle in the camps and that the responsibility for that program be transferred to the Arab governments. The Congressmen further suggested that the U.S. warn that aid would be cut off to refugees who do not conform with the program and that U.S. aid be cut off to nations in that region which do not adhere to United Nations decisions.

Also recommended by Reps. Smith and Prouty was that the UN serve notice that it would not support the return of the Arab refugees under present conditions, that the U. S. press Israel to pay compensation to the Arab refugees for land and homes abandoned by them, and that the U.S. press for lifting of the anti-Israel blockade and boycott by the Arab states.