TRANSJORDAN
Shrewd little King Abdullah of Trans-Jordan likes to shoot and hunt, compose delicate Arabic poetry, recite from the Koran, and play chess. He also aspires to enlarge his kingdom. Last week, fingering a set of exquisitely carved chess pieces in his winter palace at Shouneh, a few miles east of the River Jordan, he told a TIME correspondent: "Politics is like chess: you cannot rush your pawns across enemy territory, but must seek favorable openings."
Might & Rights. But those who have played chess with him know that Abdullah, who plays well, likes swift moves, gets bored if the game lasts too long. What moves, wondered rival Arab leaders, was the wily brain planning to make in neighboring Palestine? Traditionally the bad boy of Arab politicians, Abdullah has never made any secret of his ambition to expand his holdings, at the expense of Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, or of all four of those states.
In the Middle East chess game, he has a powerful piece—a well-trained, wellarmed, British-led army, the 10,000-strong Arab Legion, most efficient Arab fighting force in the Middle East. In a bold move he might use the Legion (already two-thirds of it is in Palestine to help the British keep order) to seize chunks, or all, of Palestine for himself.
"I must hold strategic positions in Palestine," said Abdullah last week. "These are indispensable to Trans-Jordan, both from military and economic points of view. I cannot give up Mediterranean ports in Palestine. I have rights and claims in Palestine without which Trans-Jordan cannot live."
But in London, where Abdullah's Prime Minister and other emissaries last week were talking over a revised treaty of alliance with Britain, Abdullah's British subsidizers thought Abdullah would be more cautious. Said one, when asked whether Abdullah might try to seize Palestine over the protests of other Arab leaders: "We honestly don't believe he will be so silly."
The British, who put him on his throne, have a firm rein on the impetuous Abdullah. His proud army depends on a yearly British subsidy of $8,000,000, British arms and supplies, and 48 British officers who advise and command it. If British support were withdrawn, Abdullah knows that his Legion would quickly deteriorate into just another ragged Arab band.
Lice & Rice. Abdullah's military adviser, the man on whom the British most count to keep their useful Arab ally efficient but tractable, was also in London last week—Major General* John Bagot Glubb ("Glubb Pasha"), M.C., D.S.O., Order of El-Istiqlal (Independence), Order of El-Nahdhah (Renaissance).
To British tabloid readers, Glubb is already a legendary creature like T. E. Lawrence ("of Arabia"). They imagine him to be tall and slim, with steely blue eyes and commanding voice. Actually his voice is soft, his eyes watery. A World War I wound clipped off a chunk of his jaw, bent his features into a permanent smile. Among the Arabs he is known as Abu Huneik (Father of the Little Chin).
Last week in London, Glubb Pasha was asked how tall he is. He turned to a staff officer for his opinion. "I'm six feet," was the officer's candid, if tactless reply; "and I would judge, sir, that you are about five-foot-six."