WORD THAT Greece has mounted Exocet missiles on Limnos, one of its many islands off the coast of Turkey, shouldn't be ignored. Both nations take very seriously the narrow strips of water that separate the Greek islands from the Turkish mainland in the Aegean Sea.
Even before Greece asserted its jurisdiction for 12 miles from each island, there were ample signs of tension between the two old enemies. Greek islands within sight of Turkey have tall watchtowers. A desolate Turkish promontory on the southwest coast, deserted except for some ancient ruins and a couple of crude restaurants catering to tourists, has a permanent army camp with troops who man observation posts peering at Greek islands.
Nervous charter boat captains from both nations, sailing on the edge of each other's territory, violate international flag protocol to protect themselves. While even the smallest skiff flies a national flag from its stern, larger sailboats carrying foreigners also display a small flag of the passengers' home country amidships, where a ship is supposed to fly the local flag when in foreign waters. American sailors aboard a Greek sailboat appreciated the custom when a Turkish jet buzzed them at about 500 feet altitude, probably checking for smugglers.
Greece and Turkey have a long list of grievances against each other, ancient and contemporary. But not all their citizens get worked up over them. A Turkish tourist guide, remarking on a nearby army post, said he welcomed Greek sightseers regularly. "Ankara, Athens, bah!" he exclaimed, and spat on the ground.
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A RECENT letter to the editor complained that Baltimore motorists seldom stop for pedestrians crossing at intersections. The writer, a recent arrival from the western U.S., said local drivers lacked the courtesy toward pedestrians that prevails out there. An informal survey, she said, indicated only 20 percent of drivers yield the right of way to pedestrians. They must be westerners, she concluded.
Our correspondent omitted two important points. Some motorists here were trained in New York City, not the West. They also yield to pedestrians who have the temerity to assert their right of way. That's the way the game is played in New York. Of course, if you hesitate in front of a New York driver, you've lost your chance.
Also, Baltimore pedestrians are cowed by motorists. Few insist on crossing when they have the right of way, waiting instead until cars making turns on green signals have passed before stepping off the curb.
One frustrated motorist, who is both an aggressive pedestrian (raised in New York, of course) and a considerate driver, complains that most Baltimoreans won't step off the curb while he waits for them before making a turn. They don't believe he will actually wait -- may even suspect a sadistic trap.