The Wilmington morning star., 1947-04-13
INDIA LEADERSHIP
IS IMPROVED.
Inn Researcher See ORR
.nt Which Will Support
Half OF World
CHARLES A. CRUNCH

ron Ear East, envision a recon
tas ,c+ed Orient which will support
livelihood Of half the worlds
nopulation with minimum inter-
Ponce from the west.
Taev see India as the vital in
..strial leader, with japan as a
sahb+t,1 factor until an allied de-
;";on is made on her economic
a'tu-e The. tremendous potential
49,. Of China and the lesser, but
tanificant. parts to be played by
5asonesia and Indo-C China have not
4nr1,n into sharp focus because OF
a%ontinuing postwar fighting and
eternal disorders in those coun-
pIt in any case, the conclusions
- tho research e X perts indicate
.h.t their picture of a peacetime
nr;en+ will show the white man
" the role Of scientific and in
a@lstrial. helpmates Of the east
rsther than the characteristic
"pukka Sahib' parts they played
in the past.
Neitber the "Pukka Sahib'' nor
f,e dream world ne created in the
II midst Of the giant evils of want,
disease, ~squalor, ignorance and
idleness'' are blamed in the long
report before the commission
d eharged with the task of integral
u ins all the U. N. efforts to re-
Il mild Asia and the Indies.
Rather, the report compiled I'M
der the craftsmanship Of P. C.
q chang. Of China, detailing the eff
Il forts Of the working group for
Asia and the Far East in the pre-
rninaries to setting up the COM
II mission, takes note of all the
forces that have combined to
change the trends toward the
worlds presently most challeng-
Ing political and industrial revo-
iutions.
The report indicates that basic
changes will be necessary in
national or local economies as the
result o. wartime developments
and it takes into account the
] tendencies Of rising nationalisms
10 turn from their past as pro-
duce1s Of raw materials to self
contained industry at home.
"In relation to reconstruction
problems" the report says, -four
factors in particular deserve con-
sideration as having changed ma
terially the economic situation in
Asia and the Far East:
First, is the fact that impor-
tant changes have occurred dur
ing the war in the world economic
setting. An obvious example is the
rw Of a synthetic rubber indus
try which will IN the future be
in actual OR potential competition
with the natural rubber producers
Of southeast Asia. This new fac
tor, moreover, reinforces the ar.
uments for a more diversified
economic development as part OF
the reconstruction plans Of Ma
laya, the Netherlands Indies and
ether rubber = growing areas. (In
this connection, the report notes
mat from five to ten percent OF
Ifalaya's planted rubber trees
were destroyed by the Japanese
by telling and through damage
saused by neglect.)
THE second factor" says the
report, sis represented by the inn
,ortant changes which have oc-
cured ir the economic setting
within ths Asiatic region. Most
noteworthy is the altered position
II Japan. Adjustments are re-
CURED because Of the changed po-
sition Of Japan as a suppiier, a
consumer. and 4 competitor. Tn
fortunately, the allied powers have
not yet reached complete agree
nent on the Japanese industries
to be destroyed or dismantled, on
the degree Of reconstruction to be
permitted to other industries and
or the Japanese equipment or ma
terials to be distributed as repa-
ratlons. Decisions on these points
are urgently needed so that the
planning Of reconstruction for the
rest Of the region may proceed.
General Macarthur recently
touched on this subject in his sug-
gestion that the United Nations
should be ready to supervise Jap
anese economy after the compile
ton Of the military occupation
phase with the conclusion OF a
peace treaty, which he urged the
powers to get On with quickly.
Third, Is the factor Of the new
political developments which have
taken place during or since the
war; these will require new eco
nornic adjustments in almost all
the countries treated in this re-
port. Korea, liberated from Japa-
nese rule, is still under two allied
occupations but is to have Its in
~dependence in due course. The
Philippine islands have recently
tequired independence. China. is
no longer hampered by e~xtra-ter-
fItoriality and other provisions of
ne unequal treaties India, the
Netherlands Indies, 1ndo China,
Burma and Malaga have all re-
Gently acquired a new political
status. Throughout the region, the
Nead towards a greater measure
OF self = government or independ-
ehce is manifest. This will I'M
douOtsdly mean increased local
Management Of economic Affairs
ana. as soon as political stability
caA be attained, a Strengthening
% the tendency towards develop
nent Of new types Of local indus
Try and q less exclusive concen-
ration on raw material production
lof shipment to the industrially
advanced countries.
The fourth factor" the report
continues, "the most important Of
sn' Is that in practically every
soon'ry there is a widespread and
..slS'ent demand for industriali-
.auon III order to raise living
sanaards. Industrialization will