Man from Minnesota

In Washington's political spectrum, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and Minnesota's Stevensonian Democrat Hubert Humphrey are many shades apart. Yet last week Senator Humphrey and Secretary Dulles emerged arm in arm from a conference at Dulles' home in which Dulles heaped laurels on Humphrey. Reason: so sharp an impression of U.S. interest had Humphrey created during a four-week tour of Europe and the Middle East, so well did he defend U.S. policy there, that diplomatic cables into Foggy Bottom were buzzing with well-dones.

Humphrey's role as traveling defender of Dwight Eisenhower was no sudden switch. Appointed U.S. delegate to the United Nations last year, Humphrey roamed U.N. lounges asking questions about world affairs, frequently ended up explaining and defending U.S. foreign policy. Roaming Spain, Italy, Greece, Lebanon, Israel and Egypt last month, he kept asking questions, kept speaking out for U.S. policy. In the process Humphrey learned some new facts of Middle East life.

Landing in Arab countries he found himself looked on suspiciously as a Zionist because he is a liberal Democrat and political clansman of Harry Truman, who had recognized Israel the day the tiny state was established. Humphrey conquered suspicion by listening attentively, answering Arab complaints with clear-cut definitions of U.S. aims, letting his hosts have the last word. The Arabs came to accept him as no Zionist, but a man of understanding and sympathy.

Great Document. Humphrey's high point was a three-hour conference with Egypt's President Gamal Abdel Nasser. Humphrey soon discovered that Nasser knew very little about Eisenhower. He had, he said, read Crusade in Europe. Asked Humphrey: "Have you read President Eisenhower's second inaugural address?" When Nasser replied "No," Humphrey sent round to the U.S. Embassy for a copy, advised Nasser to read "one of the greatest documents for peace ever written." Said Humphrey: "Eisenhower seeks to dominate no one, and it appears to me that anyone who really wants peace in the world can find it with the President of the United States."

Humphrey noted that as Nasser talked about his own country he seemed "happy and positive." But when he spoke of the international scene, he became bitter, cynical and critical. "If you would concentrate your talents and energies on the political and economic development of Egypt," advised Humphrey, "you would be making a real contribution to the world, but your fishing in international waters will lead to nothing but trouble. Why dabble in great international matters when you have so many economic troubles at home that need your attention?" Nasser smiled and shrugged away the question.

Remarkable Restraint. One point of current diplomacy that impressed Humphrey: when Nasser spoke of Israel, he seemed remarkably restrained. Possibly he was feeling his way toward some face-saving way of settling the problems of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba. Humphrey's final reassurance on behalf of the U.S.: "We don't want a grain of sand from your deserts, a stone from your pyramids, or a drop of water from your canal. We don't even want your gratitude. All we want is peace."

If Nasser and the Middle East benefited from Hubert Humphrey's earnest sojourn, the Senator profited as well. He never missed an opportunity to plug the U.S. surplus-food-disposal program--a program that helps bolster the price of Minnesota farm products. And he returned to Washington considerably more seasoned diplomatically than when he left. His grateful homecoming reception was only part payment for a job unusually well done. The greater hope was that Humphrey might emerge as the Senate's new voice of foreign policy--a voice that has been disturbingly stilled since Georgia's Walter George departed.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.