Early last month John Snedaker, TIME-LIFE International's Cairo office manager, was feeling fine. As the man responsible for getting TIME branch-printed each week for distribution to 16 Middle Eastern countries, he had dispatched copies of TIME to members of the U.S. Congressional Armed Services Committee, newly arrived in Cairo from a tour of Europe. They had responded by expressing surprise and pleasure at finding the current issue of TIME awaiting them at their hotel.
A fortnight later Snedaker was deep in the kind of trouble that he—and TLI—have grown used to. This time it was that ancient ravager, cholera. Egypt's efficient efforts...