Evening star., 1950-10-08

vent it, and India will at least
have helped postpone the catas-
trophe. No matter what happens,
and what is prevented from hap
pening, India will have exerted
an influence on the course of
events.
Tries Honest Broker Role
On balance. this influence has
been on the side of the free
w esJern world. India is a member
of the British commonwealth, and
1t has inclined more to the side
of the English-speaking world and
it's friends and allies than it has
toward the Soviet world-system.
India voted for both the United
Nations Security Council resolu-
tions calling for support of South
Korea against the Communist at
tack from the north and New
Delhi further has persistently
pressed Peiping to refrain from
intervening in Korea-and from
attacking Formosa. In doing
these things. India may well have
given pause to counselors of ex-
tremism on the Communist side.
But India has also probably in
duced a measure of caution in the
free world, too. For New Delhi
has by no means supported West
ern advocates of all-out audacity.
1t disapproved Of the American
interventions in Formosa and
Indo- China and plainly said so.
1t has contributed no armed
forces to the U. N. command in
Korea. It has indorsed Peiping's
demand for China's place in the
U. N. 1t opposed the crossing of
the 38th Parallel by U. N. forces.
Thus. India has tried to play
the role which Disraeli described
as that of the honest broker, and
If peace with honor proves pos
sible, it will be owing at least
in some measure to India's efforts.
1t is something of a miracle
that India has been able to play
any appreciable part at all. It
has done so without firing a shot
and without mobilizing or moving
a single soldier, tank, gun, ship
or airplane. It has done so,
moreover. despite numerous and
appalling weaknesses in its own
national position.
India is rent internally by caste
racial and religious dissent. The
great masses Of the people live in
grinding. degrading poverty.
Standards of health are sicken-
ingly low. The overwhelming pro-
portion Of the population is
illiterate.
Internal Difficulties
Faced with problems like these
and with others equally appalling,
1ndia's political leaders find them
selves In an embarrassing predica-
ment and a dangerous one VISA
Wis their followers. They all fought
most Of their lives for one great
objective-national independence.
Now they have won 1t and, in
winning. have fallen heir to all
the problems of independence.
But neither leaders nor followers
agree on these problems as they
agreed on independence.
Besides being beset by these in
ternal difficulties, India further
faces at least two major critical
problems in its foreign relations:
First. 1t is locked In a deadly
quarrel with Pakistan. the other
state carved out of the subcon-
tinent when it was partitioned.
Second, the Chinese Commu-
nists already mount guard along
India's border with Assam, and
they give every evidence of in
tending to take over Tibet-also
on Indians frontier-in the near
future, too.
So numerous and appalling are
these elements Of weakness that
one school Of thought here
roundly declares that India Is of
no particular consequence in
world affairs. The subcontinent Is
too weak and too disorganized and
disaffected to be able to play the
part of great power, this school
Of thought argues.
1ndia's supposed Importance Is
a myth and an illusion, in this
view. It is like the Indian rope
trick. A certain number of people
believe in it, but in fact there is
no such thing.
1t would appear to be true be-
yond much doubt that India's
weaknesses do qualify its role in
world affairs. It's influence Is
moral and potential and long
term, rather than concrete and
immediate.
It seems to be a perfectly real
influence, however. If it is a
trick. it is good trick. It works.
For responsible men in the highest
Offices here. in London and else
where believe that India is i'm
portant, and they act accordingly,
and the fact that they act this
way makes India important no
matter how faulty the calculation
and motives behind the action
may be.
Morally Strong
There are, moreover. factors of
strength in India's position, too,
as well as factors Of weakness.
There are. first, the factors Of
population, area, geographic loca-
ton. resources and military power.
The Indians are the second most
numerous Of peoples. Only the
Chinese outnumber them. They
inhabit most Of an entire subcon-
tinent which can be either al
bridge or a barrier between East
and West. Their land is rich In
coal, iron, manganese and other
vital strategic materials. They
have the beginnings of a steel in