Asians Seeking Complete Control Of Own Affairs

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27400, 13 July 1954, Page 11

Asians Seeking Complete Control Of Own Affairs

8 p.m.) LONDON, July 12. *A dangerous illusion has shown itwlf among both political leaders and *ue public during the British and American altercations of recent J-eeks,” says the weekly journal, the Economist.” "Problems of South-east Asia have Jjcen discussed and attitudes toward taken up on the assumption only two serious alternative [policies are in the running—a tightly’knotted N.A.T.O. type defence pact nSE.AT.O.) and a broader system of general guarantees of a new settlement (Locarno).

; “This is a double mistake. First, .'these are not two alternatives. They i are aspects of the same policy. Second rthey ignore the real alternative to ’sny Western policy. “There is another horse in this jjce. This is the Chinese proposal that the peace of Asia should be maintained solely by Asian states themselves through an ‘assumption of mutual obligations.’ /Mr Chou En-lai publicly unveiled this plan at Geneva, and Mr Molotov heartily endorsed it. Mr Chou Enjais ideas are appealing to Asian eyes, there is a very real attraction for the most sincerely democratic Asian in tne suggestion that his continent should at last have complete control o' its own affairs without any inter‘•S? ce from the West. Mr Chou’s plan is further evidence £ l skill with which the Communsought to identify their cause jwth the embedded anti-Western feeing of Asia as a whole. It implies |he eventual exclusion of all white zzjuence from southern and southeastern Asia and. naturally, from an d the islands as well.” ♦u- e “Economist” continues that it is mis strength of an “Asia for the feeling, and the ability of the jmuiese Communists to play upon it oat represents the real challenge that “estern policy has to meet.

"Britain Sees Challenge” . And if one merit can be claimed British diplomacy in these recent muortunate weeks it is that it has tE challenge more clearly than me Americans and has at least made ie^jres towards meeting it. i is attempting to provide a -jmge between Washington and New to create a set of relationships South-east Asia that won’t lose, for P eac e and the stability, e su PPort of either extreme pole free world. involves convincing the i ; k a +u S other Asians who think them that it is necessary to draw intn guarantee them, and put teeth the guarantees, and also to confront tlie . Americans that a common finit i a^a^nst aggression will be ina-,*: . V less offensive to Asian minds ta>y ® needed fully as much as a mili- < alliance mainly composed of

Europeans specifically created for defence against China.” The “Economist” thinks it right and infinitely worthwhile to make an effort to build a bridge that will hold the free world together, and that this involves taking very, seriously Mr Chou En-lai’s programme for Asia.

“The true alternatives are not S.E.A.T.O. or Locarno. These are both parts of a larger whole which is essen-

tial to the peace and security of Asia. “The real and menacing alternative is the severing of links between free nations of the West and of Asia and the steady absorption of the latter into the Chinese- orbit. It is hard to believe that either Senator Knowland or Mr Nehru really wants that.”