Diary 1963 - Murshid Sam's Living Stream

Diaries 1963-2.I have had some personality difficulties, the chief one running on for years when because “I” wasSam Lewis certain plans for the Near Fast were shelved. On the political side, let me say that whenI did meet General Burns’s aides, they one and all told me that I was the first sensible person theyhad met! But by analogy I met a VIP North African who had turned socialist and I asked him, “Whydo you wish to adopt for your countries the agricultural system which has failed in Russia and evenmore so in China, and not adopt the one which has succeeded right here in California?”Skipping I submitted two plans for North Africa, the second one being an agricultural programbased on the fact that the Date is the sacred plant of Islam; and that Qur’an itself has a Sura whichbegins “By the Fig and by the Olive” which all “good Muslims” ignore, as they ignore everythingelse in their own scriptures—like a lot of other people. And to submit a program calling for largeplantings of Figs, Olives, Grapes and Dates in North Africa is the last thing the political and ecclesiasticreligiousness consider.My plans lay on the desk of admiral Evenson of the American Friends of the Middle East. Thisweek we had a grand session and all the speakers had the same theme: “Get out of speeches and dosomething.” The main difference here—and this could mean something for you—is that AFME havegiven up Pakistan and taken over the whole of North Africa.The terminus of the personality difficulties implied above came, when after the dinner theother night, Mr. Terry Duce, Vice-President of AFME and formerly Vice President of ARAMCO,came up to me (we have known each other for years and this is the first time he approached me—itwas always the other way; “What are you doing for desert agriculture?” He outlined his plan—hehas the world contacts. The next day I met Dr. Overton, the President, etc., etc.Now at our gathering were all the people who could have put over the scheme which your C.of C. had to bring Egyptian monuments—men representing untold millions, big men in all the oilcompanies (e.g. Kermit Roosevelt II), and all backing the idea of doing something. This is the firsttime I met Overton and he accepted my credentials on the spot. I also saw or met other officials, etc.,This brings up the next step. I shall write a small addendum to my plan because now the leadersof AFME (and the oil companies, etc.) have come out for doing something for Desert Agricultureand it is not simply brochures of Ayers & Co. We are facing a situation and I am even able to get inthe Palestine and Algiers-Morocco complex—this is personal, not scientific. What I should like to seeis a master idea for the proper soil and water rehabilitation of the whole Arab World.