Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
India had only become an independent nation in 1948, and it was considered a potential bulwark against Communism in Asia. U.S.–India relations were strained, however, because of India's recognition of Communist China, its opposition to the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), and its resistance to foreign interference in Indochina. "U.S. News and World Report" described the ambassadorship as "one of the most difficult and delicate in all the diplomatic world".