Evening star., 1949-10-12
Pondit Nehru Visits Us


Washington on missions OF deeper signifi-
canoe or wider Importance than is the case
with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime
Minister and Minister of External Affairs
OF India. Momentous consequences may
flow from his stay in the United States,
of which his scheduled stop with us here
In Washington is the first stage in Jour-
ney from coast to coast.
For Pandit Nehru this Is both a diplo-
matte mission and a personal voyage of
discovery. Widely travelled and highly
educated though he is he has never before
been in the United States. And he has
expressed the desire to know us better
as people, together with his wish to ex-
plore and improve the relations between
the two governments and nations. This
involves personal contacts and converse
tions with as large and representative
cross-section OF our population at all levels
as tight official schedule will permit.
Pandit Nehru has in the past been
critical OF many aspects OF American life.
This Is chiefly because he Is q convinced
Socialist, though his preference for So
cialistic economy is combined with an
almost passionate devotion to the demo-
cratic principles OF human rights and the
sanctity OF the individual human being.
That humane idealism sets him against
all totalitarian ideologies, whether Com
munist or Fascist. Indeed, he envisages
a sort OF Third Force" keeping India and
the other emancipated peoples of Asia
out OF the camp either of East" or West"
In the current "cold war;" and avoiding
direct involvement If that titanic diplo-
matte rivalry should culminate in q "hot"
war by embattled armies and atomic
bombs.
Nevertheless, Nehru has not hesitated to
take drastic action when communism chal-
lenged the authority and policies of the
government he heads. The official crack
down on the Indian Communist Party has
been as severe as 1t is apparently effective.
Stlf1 sentences have been meted out for
overt sedition, while thousands of Red
political prisoners are In Indian jails.
However, Nehru feels that much more
than repression Is needed to grapple with
the ills on which communism feeds. Among
midas many evils are naass-poverty, over
population, and historic cleavages, largely
religious, which hinder domestic co-opera-
tion and solidarity. 1ndia's economic prog
ress can be furthered by Western, and
especially American, aid in the shape of
loans, credits, private investment, and that
combination Of material assistance and
technical "know-how" envisaged alike BY
United Nations agencies and the American
program expressed by President Truman's
Point T." These matters will undoubt-
edly be discussed by Nehru with American
officials, business men, scientists, and opin-
conforming individuals Of various kinds.
Alongside this, there will presumably be
exchanges Of views, formal and perhaps
even more informal, on diplomatic and
political questions centering on Asia.
Pandit Nehru's authority and prestige,
personal as well a. official, are 20 out
standing with his own people that he
represents and voices India as no other
individual could possibly do. What he
has to say to US should therefore be lis
tened to with the utmost attention. And
what he takes back to India with him in
the shape Of impressions and opinions
even more than In concrete agreements
should deeply affect our relations with
India and other parts Of Asia as well.