The Road to Mandalay

Of all the neutralist nations of Southeast Asia, Burma--which not only won its independence from Britain after World War II. but chose to leave the Commonwealth--was the most insistent on preserving its neutralist status. From 1953 on, Burma would not even accept free technical aid from the U.S., partly because it did not think the U.S. had done enough to make Nationalist China pull its guerrilla armies out of the Burma hills (they finally pulled the bulk out in 1954).

Last week, in a surprising policy switch, the Burmese government of General Ne Win turned to the U.S. for help in two top-priority projects: constructing a badly needed four-lane highway from Rangoon to Mandalay and adding classroom space for 7,000 students at the University of Rangoon. The move was cheered even by Burma's original apostle of neutralism, Ex-Premier U Nu.

The U.S. agreed to supply a total of $37 million over the next four years--one of the few long-term promises of help the U.S. has made. Included: a survey by U.S. Army engineers before widening the narrow and potholed road to Mandalay.

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