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m the Arab world to the British
campus, and one of them visited the
campuses at Pasadena and Texas
with him. Among these Arab lead–
ers to visit the college were the
Egyptian Ambassador to London,
and Dr. Lucien Dahdah, Chairman
of Willis Fabe r (Midd le East)
S.A.L., a major company of lnsur–
ance Brokers and Underwriters; also
Chairman, lntra lnvestment Corpo–
ration, and a top leader in Lebanon.
These meo want other leaders of
the Arab world to know about our
message and program of worldwide
education. They communicated
with their friends who are leaders in
Lebanon and told them about the
unique work being accomplished by
Ambassador College. As a result,
President Franjieh of Lebanon ex–
tended the invitation.
[ have given you the details as
just another example of how meet–
ings with world leaders and heads of
state continue to come about. The
unique educational work carried on
worldwide is attracting more and
more attention and find ing great fa–
vor with world leaders.
On this occasion, Dr. Dahdah
ftew to our British campus at Bricket
Wood, near St. Albans, to accom–
pany me on the visit to Lebanon.
We flew in our plane, and besides
the crew of five, our party included
Mr. and Mrs. Muhtadi, Mr. and
Mrs. Charles F. Hunting, our Vice
President for Financia! Affairs for
Britain, Europe and the Middle
East; Mr. and Mrs. Stanley R. Ra–
der, our general counsel; my daugh–
ter Mrs. Beverly Gott , and Dr.
Dahdah. We were met at Beirut air–
port by a welcoming delegation and
taken through customs and immi–
gration in VIP manner.
Our meeting with the President
and First Lady was on Friday at the
presidential summer palace, high in
the mouotains and a two hour drive
by automobile from Beirut. Our en–
tire party was invited. The moun–
tain palace has a magnificent view
of valleys far below, and peaks still
higher. We arrived at about 12:30,
had about an hour's conversation in
16
a very large living room, with many
photographs being taken. During
our talk, a telephone was brought to
the President. He looked very seri–
ous.
"An Ethiopiao aircraft with Em–
peror Haile Selassie aboard has just
beeo hijacked over Germany," he
told us, and in Arabic he expressed
great alarm lest they would demand
being laoded at Beirut ai rport. Wi th
so famous a personage aboard, it
could have had extremely serious
implications.
About five minutes later the tele–
phone was brought to him again.
His face broke out in smiles.
"False alarm," he said with great
relief. "The captain on the Em–
peror's plane accidentally touched
the hijack alarm button by mis–
take," he said.
T
explained to him how 1 had
been the guest of the Ethiopian Em–
peror justa few weeks ago, and my
daughter showed him and others
the omate gold bracelet the Em–
peror had given her.
During luncheon , which we
leamed the F irst Lady herself had
planned with exceptional interest, a
son and grandsons carne in, and a
daughter and son-in-law (who is a
brother of Dr. Dahdah) were there
when we arrived.
The President took many minutes
carefully turning through a special
edition of
The Envoy,
our college
annual, and showed great interest.
l had mentioned to the President
that we have five exceptionally well–
shaped cedars of Lebanon on our
campus in England. I had heard
these magnificent trees were all
gone from Lebanoo. It was lumber
from sorne of these trees that the
aocient King Hiram of Tyre had
sent to King Solomon to be used in
the building of Solomon's Temple
in Jerusalem.
"There are just 300 of these ce–
dars still growing," said the Presi–
dent. "Sorne are 4,000 years old.
They are aU in one group. I would
suggest you see them on your return
to Beirut - it will take you about
one hour longer."
We did take advantage of this op–
portunity - and drove thro ugh
sorne of the most magnificent
mountain scenery in the world on
the way.
During this eventful past eight
days, I was driven up into the
mo unta ins in another direction,
about one hour's dri ve, to the
mountain summer residence of
Prime Minister Taki el Dine Solh. 1
had a most interesting talk of an
hour or more with him. He had just
returned the night before from the
Algiers Conference. He has a phllo–
sophical mind, and we discussed
world conditions, and their causes,
virtually in complete agreement.
I went into the "forbidden fruit"
incident when our first parents re–
jected divine revelation from our
Creator as the only source of basic
knowledge - aod how maokind has
continued to reject that source, at–
tempting to determine by human
reason what is good and what is evil
- and how that is the basic
CAUSE
of
all the world's evils. I explained
about my researches into the causes
of the difference between animal
brain and human mind - and why
man is
as
he is - with powers of
intellect to learn to fiy to the moon,
yet unable to solve bis own prob–
lems on earth - problems within his
family, social problems, problems
between nations.
Also while in Lebanon this past
week, I had personal meetings with
the Foreign Minister, Fouad Naf–
fah, and the Minister of Education,
Edmond Rezek. He was especially
pleased when I told
him
we were
planning to introduce a course, be–
ginning the second semester at the
English campus, in the Arabic lan–
guage.
On our last Saturday night a spe–
cial reception and dinner was held
in my honor at a very large building
on the outskirts of Beirut, facing the
sea. lt contains a large casino - I
believe the largest in the world - a
large theater, and dining rooms and
terraces.
It
is owned by one of the
companies of which Dr. Dahdah is
Chairman. On arrival I looked into
PLAIN TRUTH
January
1974