Evening star., 1952-03-06

lishment Of q Middle East COM
mand. We hope this command will
become the center Of cooperative
leffortS by all countries concerned
for the defense OF the region as q
whole from outside aggression.
ASIA AND THE PACIFIC.
| Much Of Asia at this moment
lis under Communist attack. The
free nations are holding the line
against aggression In Korea and
Indo- China, and are battling
Communist t-inSpifed disorders In
Burma, Malaga, and the Philip
pines. The loss of any Of these
countries would mean the loss of
freedom for millions of people, the
loss Of vital raw materials, the loss
lof points Of critical strategic i'm
Iportance to the free world.
The Mutual Security Program
Tor this area includes military as
lsistance in the amount Of 81 mil
lion dollars. and economic and
ftechnical assistance of 408 million
dollars, some Of which will con-
tribute directly to the defense pro-
grams Of certain countries OF
Southeast Asia.
OF our military assistance. q
large part will 60 to Indo-C China
where the troops Of the French
Union and Of the Associated State,
Iare battling valiantly against the
Communicated forces, and another
large part win 60 to continue te
help prepare the Chinese armie,
on Formosa to resist Communists
aggression. The rest win 60 to the
Philippines and Thailand, to heir
build forces strong enough to In.
sure internal security.
i As In the Near East and Africa
however, security in Asia is ia,
more than q military problem. Ou,
military assistance is essential K
check the encroachments of Com.
munist imperialism. But the long.
run promise OF stability an6
progress lies, not alone In arms
but in the provision Of sufficient
economic and technical support tc
enable the peoples of Asia to con-
quer their old, deep-seated and
agon1zing economic problems and
to share in the benefits Of an ex-
tpanding world economy.
i In India, for example, the KEY
to economic progress lies in boost
ing food production. This is the
only way to remove the constant
threat Of famine and ease the
desperate struggle for q daily
livelihood. It is the only way Of
freeing funds now spent to import
food, so they can be used instead
Tor productive investment In de-
veloping natural resources, trans
portation, and industry.
The whole future of India as a
free nation may well lie in her
ability to raise her food aproduc-
tion and do it quickly. u Z
Must Support India's Efforts.
We must support Indiass own
efforts to get this done. The m
dian government has already set
in motion q plan under which, In
q very few years, she will be able
to grow the food needetf by her
people, and will have established a
sound basis for further economic
development. It is o ood=plan:
practical and definite. India itself
is financing most Of it. And we are
greatly stepping up our. aid for
this plan with confidence that the
sums we spend will bring concrete
results.
This is an example of how our
aid can produce large scale re-
suits by supporting the efforts of
the people of the Asian countries.
In the same way, we are helping
to expand irrigation in Pakistan,
to eliminate malaria in Thailand.
to increase rice yields in Burma.
1t is vital that this work be
carried forward rapidly. For in
this region, there Is still time to
set in motion programs which will
tap the energies of the people and
give them solid hope for advance
ment under governments deter
mined to resist Communist ex-
pansion. We must not let this
opportunity go by default. Let
1t never be said Of the American
people that our eyes are focused
only on what might have been
that we grow concerned about the
countries of Asia only after they
have been lost to the enemy. The
bold and wise investment Of
American funds in this region in
the next few years can make a
vital difference to the future of
freedom.
Special note should be taken of
the contribution that the new,
free Japan can make to the
growth Of economic strength In
Asia. A growing trade partner
ship Of Japan with Southeast and
South Asia can benefit every one
concerned. Such a partnership
in free Asia can result in a self
supporting, expanding regional
economy, free of permanent de-
pendence on United States eco
nomic aid and free from the dam
ger Of satellite slavery under the
Soviet orbit.
LATIN AMERICA.
| I do not need to restate here
the inestimable Importance Of
Latin America. It's governments
and its peoples are Joined with
us in the Organization Of Ameri-
can States and the Rio treaty to
bolster the security Of the free
world. It is a most important
source of vital raw materials; and
it carries on with us q large and
mutually advantageous trade. In
case Of emergency. its military
forces can partially relieve ours
Of some Of the important tasks
connected with hemisphere de-
fenSe.
In order to assist hemisphere
defense, ] am recommending
military assistance nf $50 million