Evening star., 1956-12-20
Our Guest Departs


Mr.. Nehru has come and gone, leav-
ing behind him very little with which one
can weigh or measure the fruits Of his
visit.
For those who had hoped for some
dramatic announcement, II there are any
such, the net result of the Eisenhower
Nehru meetings is disappointment. Those
who think that Mr.. Nehru Is thinly
disguised agent of communism will find
some phrases here and there upon which
they can whet their propaganda knives.
But for the rest of us, and, we hope, most
OF us, the differences which can legiti-
mately be drawn are more encouraging
than otherwise.
We do not know that anyone in this
country is able to understand" Mr..
Nehru or the workings of his mind. But
there are certain facts. concerning him
about which there is no mystery. We
know that he acquired more than pass
ing acquaintance with British jails as he
helped lead the struggle for India'S inde-
pendence. We know that for some 10
years, with impressive political dexterity,
he has held together a young republic
within whose borders live some $40
million impoverished people, roughly one
seventh of the worlds population. We
know that he has done this, on the whole,
with notable fidelity to democratic
principles. And we know that a great
deal hangs upon the success or failure of
the democratic experiment in India-an
experiment which is in direct competition
with the political philosophy prevailing
In China and Russia, and which is being
closely watched throughout all of Asia.
If we understand these things, it
ought to be possible for us to restrain that
American tendency toward quick impa-
tience when Mr.. Nehru does not always
do the things or say the things that we
think should be done or said. When he
reminds us that 1--WE in India today are
children of this IIndian) revolution and
have been conditioned by it," we should
realize that this has something to do with
Mr.. Nehrus lingering diStrust of the West
and of anything which smackS of colo
nialism. When he speaks of Indias policy
of 'nonalignment," it does not necessarily
follow that he is against us because he is
not with us. Mr.. Nehru is looking at the
world through his eyes. not through ours.
And what he sees is conditioned by his
experience, not by ours. Is it really sur
prising that he does not see this world
in quite the same all black or all white
patterns which arrange themselves so
neatly and so conveniently before our
eyes? Why should we condemn him
when he says that India tries to maintain
friendly relations with all countries, even
though possibly diSagreeing with their
policies, because he believes that this
course serves best the interests of India
and the larger cause of peace? How can
we be so sure that this is not the most
helpful role that India can play?
Instead of inveighing against this
man, it would be better, we think, for US
to focus our attention on this passage
from his speech above all, we believe
in liberty, equality, the dignity of the
individual and the freedom of the human
spirit. Because of this, we are firmly
welded to the democratic way of life and,
in our loyalty to this cause, we will not
falter"
If this is the authentic voice OF India
be better IL Mr.. Nehru were more specific
and more emphatic in denouncing the
evils Of communism. But he is not ready
to do thiS-possibly because the evils
which We see are not quite so self-evident
to him. As is true of any other man, Mr..
Nehru is the sum OF his experiences. And
men differ as their experiences have
differed. We may hope that Mr.. Nehru,
as one result Of his experience in WASH
ington, will have a better understanding
OF, and will be more Sympathetically dis
posed toward, our own aims and purposes.
BY the same token, it may be hoped that
the discussions which the President has
had with Mr.. Nehru will help us to under
stand his problems and his attitudes
even though in our often self-righteous
way we may not approve Of them.