Letters, Dec. 17, 1973

Oil Diplomacy

Sir / I hold no brief for either the Arabs or Israel. Certainly there is merit in the case on both sides. I speak only as an American citizen.

We have come to a strange and threatening state of affairs. A feudal King of a desert kingdom of a few million people—a kingdom whose vast oil resources have been developed by American money and technical knowledge—is blackmailing our country.

It is not just a matter of oil, it is not just a matter of economics, strong as these reasons may be. It is a question of national integrity and honor, or are those dead?

JACQUES A. LAUS

Santa Barbara, Calif.

Sir / The Arab nations have been quick to realize the power of their oil weapon. They have been successful in exploiting the situation. I am sure no one is more surprised than the Arab nations themselves, who have delightedly realized how vulnerable European countries are. The eyes of the world are now on America, waiting to see how America conducts itself through the oil crisis. I only hope it will be courageous enough not to forsake its conscience for worldly comforts and succumb to Arab pressure.

KALYAN BASU

Calcutta. India

Sir / You made two damaging allegations: first, that the Arabs hoped to pressure the industrial nations into forcing Israel to make peace on terms favorable to the Arabs; second, that Egypt and Syria invaded Israel in October.

The truth is that the Arabs want a just solution. This is certainly quite different from what is implied by the word favorable. On the other hand, it is equally true that neither Egypt nor Syria (nor in fact any Arab country) invaded Israel. The war was fought on and for Egyptian and Syrian territories occupied for a long time by Israel.

A.B. ABDALLA

Liverpool. England

Energy Options

Sir / Reduction of environmental standards, which are even now abysmally low. is a betrayal of the future for the sake of a luxurious present. Our hope does not lie in more oil. more coal, or more nuclear power plants, any more than our transportation crisis calls for bigger freeways. These are the solutions of shortsighted men. and the pollution resulting from these solutions will be disastrous. Unlimited energy will not help us if we cannot breathe the air or drink the water.

L.G. DORR JR.

San Franciscb

Sir / If it had not been for the narrow-minded and cantankerous behavior of the environment fanatics, this country would be in much better shape.

For five years they have been able to delay the building of the Alaska pipeline. Their arguments were that it would interfere with the sex habits of reindeer, damage the permafrost, pose a hazard because of the danger of earthquakes and, finally, that there might be oil spillage.

Similar arguments are being used to halt offshore oil drilling, including that the sight of a rig might not be aesthetically pleasing.

While I can of course understand reasonable objections to avoidable pollution, the domineering attitude of the environmentalists has been counterproductive.

FRED S. POLI

Upper Darby, Pa.

Sir / Here is an idea for saving fuel which is not likely to be mentioned but which I offer in all seriousness.