Evening star., 1953-11-29
Pokistun-
Pact With U. S. Is On
In Spite of Nehru
By 6. H. Irving

The administrators efforts to
create military pact with Pakistan
have run into a disturbing snag in
the person of India's Prime Min
lister Nehru
In New Delhi, Nehru said recently
his country was watching with "in-
tense concern" American-Pakistan
efforts to make Pakistan a source
OF military strength in the teeming
subcontinent of Asia.
Nehru, of course, has charted a
role of neutrality for India But now
it is apparent that Nehru wants this
same neutrality for all the region
dominated by his country.
AS much as the free world has
come to respect, if not always ad-
mire, Nehru as one of the great
Spokesmen of non-CommuniSt Asia.
there is no indication the United
States is going to shy permanently
from its hopes for building Pakistan
into source of Middle Eastern and
Southeast Asian strength.
Presidents Comment
President Eisenhower. at his press
conference fortnight ago, ini .,ate6
American Difference to Nehr Iyuen
he said the United States wkA Il he
most cautious about doing ~ ling
that might create unrest, h ;r
hysteria among Pakistan's ign"
borS.
But this does not rule out an
eventual aid program for Pakistan,
nor did the Presidents words alter
one whit either Pakistans strategic
Importance, nor the desire of the
Pentagon and the State Department
to help Pakistan militarily.
If anything, Nehru's attitude has
added fuel to young Pakistan's de-
sire to begin formal negotiations
with the United States on military
assistance.
Pakistan occupies a unique posi-
tior in the subcontinent. Born out
of the great Indian struggle for in
dependence, PakiStan is literally two
nations separated by Nehru'S coun-
try. West PakiStan is tough desert
land separated by only few miles
from the SouthernmoSt border OF
the Soviet Union. East Pakistan is
a rich subtropical region on the
opposite side of India. Nearly two
thirds of Pakistan's rs million popu-
latlon lives in this region which
makes up only one-seventh Of
Pakistan's total area. Communist
China is just north of East Pakistan,
as Russia is just north of West
PakiStan.
An Islamic nation, Pakistan cfcsa
separation and tenuous indepenCi
ence from India purely on reliEiou.
grounds. India is primarily Hindu,
but her government and laws a'4
nonsectarian; Pakistan's government
ard constitution, however, are based
upon the Moslem faith.
Several vital elements make PAX
istan land of tremendous strategic
Importance to the West:
O West Pakistan is the eastern an
chor of the Arab-MoSlem world
which stretches from India across
the Middle East to the shores of the
Atlantic in Africa. East PakiStan
is link between this vast area and
Moslem IndoneSia. Thus, West
Pakistan is literally the keystone in
the arch of Islam.
. Pakistan is the only Commu-
mist nation which uniquely virtually
borders both Soviet Russia and Red
China.
. Pakistan also is the gateway" to
invasion of India. Militarily. it is
inEonceivable that the Communist
Chinese ever could mount an attack
against India through the forbid
ding Himalayas. The trail of attack
lies through Burma and East Paki-
stan. This is equally true of any
potential attack on India from the
west. The path lies through West
Pakistan.
. At the same time, pro-western
Pakistan is vitality located to block
communist infiltration or invasion
by Russia into the Middle East.
. Finally, the long stretch from the
western border of Iran through to
Thailand and Indo-China is the
weakest link in a world-girdling
chain of strength designed to block
Communist aggression anywhere IN
the world.
Viewed thus, it is easy to under
stand why the Defense and State
Departments, despite India's "in-
tense concern" are increasingly fa-
vorable to working toward some type
of military pact with PakiStan, al
though treading gently to avoid as
much as possible antagonizing
Nehru.
More Airboses?
1t seems that whether Nehru likes
it or not. an eventual military agree
ment will be reached. What type
of an agreement remains to be seen.
It may include American airbaSeS,
such as are located in North Africa
and Europe. 1t definitely will in
clude direct military assistance to
Pakistan, along with vitally needed
economic. and perhaps some tech
nical, assistance to the nation.
Frankly, to American military OBJ
servers who have long been faced
with reluctance by other free ma
tions to arm, Pakistan's attitude Is
refreshing.
Vigorously anti-Communist. Paki-
stan wants military assistance and
Western ties. 1t has volunteer
army already of some 100000. az
compared, for example, with Japan'S
miniscule National Safety Corps OF
10000.
What her situation vis-a-vis India
boils down to is simply this: A chal-
lenge by pro-western Pakistan to
India's leadership of neutrality"
And what apparently is in the
making is a new and real ally for
Hxy 1nN hn-