Clearing the Air

It had been four months since the gaudy Bulganin-Khrushchev bandwagon bounced across South Asia, and the time had come to take a close look at the lingering effects of the Big Red Circus, to reaffirm alliances and to rebuild friend ships. Off to Pakistan and India last week flew U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles.

In a long, narrow room in Karachi, protected against the heat by 15 air conditioners and a dozen ceiling fans, Dulles conferred with the seven other partners of SEATO (the South East Asia Treaty Organization). All agreed that their emphasis should now be on economic aid. In the past two years the three Asian members of the alliance (Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand) had received from the U.S. alone $300 million in economic aid. Dulles told them they were in line to receive aid at an even higher rate, but reminded the partners that they still needed to keep their defenses up.

The SEATO meeting produced little but talk. But Host Pakistan, at least, had cause to feel better. Ever since the Russians took India's and Afghanistan's sides in their disputes with Pakistan, Pakistan has been looking for a little moral support from its treaty partners. The conference agreed with Dulles that SEATO's mutual defense articles guarantee Pakistan's present northwestern borders (which Afghanistan challenges), and the conference reaffirmed Pakistan's demand for a U.N. plebiscite in Kashmir.

Having given aid and comfort to allies, Dulles moved on to New Delhi and a more difficult session. Indian officialdom is notably unenchanted by Dulles. Unlike the welcome extended to Bulganin and Khrushchev, Dulles' airport welcome was quiet and formal. Dulles was driven to Nehru's home, where he found the Indian Prime Minister sitting reading a book on the porch. They began a friendly but frank conversation which, with a few breaks, lasted hours longer than had been scheduled. Nehru was not happy over SEATO's references to Kashmir; Dulles replied that the U.S. was not happy about joint Indian-Soviet statements critical of Western policy.

Later, facing a hostile press conference, Dulles acquitted himself well. The first sharp question was about his statement that Goa is a Portuguese "province"; he replied that the U.S. has taken no stand on the merits of the Goan dispute. He was needled about arms aid to Pakistan, which Indians think may be turned against them. Replied Dulles: "Certainly Pakistan knows if that should happen there would be a quick end to its good relations with the U.S. On the contrary, the U.S. would be supporting India if it became victim of any armed aggression."

At week's end Dulles flew on to Ceylon, where he enjoyed a swim and the knowledge that "we have no serious problems with the government of Ceylon."

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