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advance
news
in the wake of today's WORLD EVENTS
•
Politics by Bombing
Bombings and bomb threats have skyrocketed in the
United States during the last three years.
In 1970 a National Bomb Data Center was set up in
Washington, D.C. to help cope with the mounting problem.
Betwcen January 1, 1969, and April 15, 1970, 40 per–
sons were killed, 384 injured, and property worth $22 mil–
lion was destroyed
in
4330 reported bombings.
Other statistics reveal the almost fad-like increase in
both bombings and threats. Damage to Federal property
jumped from $10,455
in
fiscal 1969 to $729,219 in 1970.
Even the U. S. Capitol building - damaged in early 1971 -
is no longer immune.
Throughout the economy, disruptions and work loss due
to bomb threats - such as clearing buildings for bomb
searches - cost the nation $2.25 billion during the first six
months of 1970.
A rather typical U. S. city of 120,000 inhabitants
recorded a rise from 9 threats in 1967 to 29 in 1968, to
55
in
1969 - and a further doubling to 113 in 1970. Across the
United States these threats have become an increasing drain
on police budgets and manpower. Departments which have
never before worried about bombings must now face the
prospect of shattering blasts of destructive force.
•
Rift in U. S.-Turkish Relations
In Turkey there is mounting disillusionment with the
United States. This is coming after 20 years of more-or-less
dose cooperation between Ankara and Washington.
Nationalistic young firebrands, resentful of continued
American military presence, periodically denounce American
"Fascism." Sixth Fleet ships can no longer visit Istanbul, for
fear of attacks on American sailors.
Other Turks have been miffed by a decline in American
economic and military aid from a high of around $300 mil–
lion a year to $150 million a year.
Still others in tbe strategic crossroads country bridging
Europe and Asia are questioning the value of the NATO
alliance which keeps American nuclear weapons on Turkish
soil. The fear is that the Soviet Union would be forced to
attack Turkey in any nuclear showdown with the United
States.
Anxious to safeguard its own intecests and dislodge
NATO from Turkish soil, Russia has been playing the
friendly neighbor. Moscow is financing a 10-yeac, $375 mil–
lion industrialization program. Trade has increased from $17
million in 1964 to over $60 million in 1969. Airline, rail,
and road connections have also been established.
The Soviets want to insure that the Bosporus-Dardanelles
remains open to their naval and commercial fieets in the
Black Sea. Through this narrow sea gate the Kremlin supplies
its Arab allies and maintains a growing Mediterranean navy to
challenge the Sixth Fleet.
Replacing America's infiuence even faster is West Ger–
maoy. Three years ago Bonn took over as Turkey's leading
trade partner. West Germao industry, moreover, has sur–
passed the United States in new prívate investment.
With a history of more than a dozen sizable wars against
Russia, the Turks are anxious lo maintain their new detente
with Moscow. And German influence, based on a friendship
going back to World War I, balances off the advances from
Moscow. The apparent loser in the courtship for Turkey's
favor is the United States, as the U. S. is slowly being
squeezed out of one of its last strongholds
in
the eastern
Mediterranean.
•
Papal Ostpolitik
West Germany is not the only party pursuing an
Ostpolitik
with the nations of Eastern Europe.
The Vatican is also busily building bridges with the
Communist regimes.
Latest in a series of successful contacts was a 90-minute
audience Pope Paul VI held with visiting Yugoslav President
Tito.
It
was apparently the longest papal conversation with a
visiting chief of state on record. Tito was also the first Com–
munist head-of-state ever to pay an official visit to the
supreme leader of the world's 600 mi!lion Roman Catholics.
In public address, Pope Paul stressed the relations of
church and state and the respect each must have for the other.
He praised elements of the Yugoslav constitution on religious
rights and respect for the individual. He cautiously avoided
any discussion of Marxism in the modero world. In return,
Tito praised the Pope's peacemaking efforts.
The visit of the world's leading "independent Commu–
nist" carne a week after a Vatican delegation went to Prague
for a new round of talks aimed at improving relations with
Czechoslovakia.
Earlier, on March 11, another Vatican delegation had