Evening star., 1949-02-06

in 1943. On the suggestion of Maj.
in naturally co-ordinated manner.
Various conditions appear, grow or
are created more or less in unison
security, international and internal,
individual initiative and freedom,
to cooperate and organize,
strong and good government, COM
petent honest administration, law
and systems of impartial justice. re-
spect for contracts, equitable and
not too burde2some taxation. When
these and other essential conditions
arrive, they encourage capital for
nation within the country and at
tract investment from the outside,
provided opportunities for capital
exist. When this process
gets under way we expect that an
educated free people with a re-
sponsible government will broaden
the distribution of the national in
come and raise the general standard
of living.
There is danger, evidently, in
attempting to speed up such a
process, because in each area it
takes a different form, with differ
ent problems and factors. Attempts
to assist" on the basis of cut-and-
dried bureaucratic formulas may
easily add to the maladjustments
already present and slow up the
process instead of spurcing it along.
1t would be impracticable and risky,
AS we'll as expensive, for the United
States Government to guarantee"
private investments be. cad the
customary limits of diplomatic pro-
lection. And it would he difficult,
if not impossible, for private
investor to guarantee" that his
investment will raise the general
standard of living in the country
concerned. Technical skills, it is
true, need to be provided, and per-
haps, with proper organization and
direction, they can be recruited and
made available more effectively
than in the past or at present. But
the provision of technical skills Is
only one factor, and is required at
a comparatively late stage in the
process of de- elopn.ent
Nationalism Is Obstacle
Nationalism in the underdeyeloped
countries, along with tllrir inde-
pendence and sovereignty, is itself
prime obstacle to development Such
countries need continuous guidance,
political, governmental, administra-
tive, financial and social. but too
often they view such guidance as
interference in their domestic af-
fairs. In a colonial territory, when
it is wisely administered, the Job OF
engineering progress is all easier
one. For example, the British In
Africa, in spite of their difficulties.
can bring about a better co-ordina-
ton of the various factors-psycho-
logical, social, political, administra-
tive and economic-than is possible
for outsiders to achieve in an inde-
pendent country.
We are already cooperating with
the British in their colonial de-
velopment plans; but we must, for
better or for worse, deal in many
areas with independent govern
ments that are immature, unrepre-
sentative, unstable, wasteful, and
often corrupt. Only through these
governments can the fundamental
conditions for development be
reached. Much Of our own high
standard Of living Is publicly pro-
vided in the form Of roads, parks,
schools, public health and welfare
services, police protection, water
systems, utilities publicly regulated
If not publicly owned, and many
other facilities and benefits. Gov
ernment also comes in through taxa.
ton. Many governments in UNDER
developed countries. weak and in
efficient though they are, lean
heavily toward government owner
ship and monopolies. We can hardly
hope to accomplish our purposes un-
less we try to do something to i'm
prove these governments.
Building Armies Futile
So the situation calls in many
areas for a diplomatic advisory pro-
gram far in advance of the technical
investment program. And the diplo-
matte advisory program, If it is to
prepare the ground successfully, de-
mands from the State Department
and its representatives abroad, an
unprecedented combination Of fiexi-
bic wisdom, tact and candor.
The program certainly calls for a
thorough re-examination of the pol
icy of military aid to the UNDER
developed countries. Building up
their armies is in most cases futile
from the standpoint of defense. It
makes for instability and reaction.
1t diverts funds from social services.
It contradicts the aims Of the
Truman -Acheson development pol
icy.
OF course, the material objectives
of that policy are not much different
from those that the Communists
propagandize in the underdeveloped
countries. They, too, hold out hopes
to the masses. For the peasants
they advocate division OF the land,
for the laborers higher wages, for
all an end OF feudal privileges. As
suredly, as Secretary Acheson inti-
mates, we shall do well If we pro-
coed realistically, with caution and
discretion, not promising too much
but always high-lighting those
things that distinguish our society
and our purposes from the society
and purposes OF the Communist