Russia Buys Rice To Make New Friends

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27862, 10 January 1956, Page 9

Russia Buys Rice To Make New Friends

(Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, January 9. The Communists’ economic offensive in Asia is a wellplanned, closely-integrated operation and their offer of roubles for surplus stocks of rice—quite irrespective of the need—is an integral part of the plan, says the weekly “Economist,” commenting on the Russian decision to buy large quantities of rice from Burma. This intervention in the world rice trade, it says, is clearly part of a wider strategy. “The decision might lead one to suppose that Mr Khrushchev and Marshal Bulganin became so addicted to Oriental dishes during their tour that a sharp change in Russian dietary habits is about to be decreed,’’ says the “Economist.” “Actually the Soviet leaders are buying rice only to make political friends in the independent legions of Asia. “The Russians have never been rice importers on any scale, and indeed it would be surprising if more than a handful of the rice ordered from Burma is shipped to the Soviet Union itself. Most of it probably will be

sent to North Vietnam, which is desperately short, or will be put at the disposal of the Chinese Communists, who themselves are experiencing local difficulties.

“The tactics of using roubles to buy simultaneously surpluses and political goodwill is not confined to rice,” the “Economist” says. “The Russians and their satellites have been willing to buy ud quantities of cotton from countries like Egypt, whose friendship they are courting, even though they do not have a commercial need for cotton themselves. They will doubtless be willing to take betel nut from India or snoek from South Africa if it is thought it would further their political ends.

“But the seriousness of the new move should not be minimised, for it is clear it has had considerable effect The Burmese are naturally delighted at being able to dispose of their surplus crop at a reasonable price. But there are risks in deals such as (hese for countries which are economically vulnerable, particularly those, which like Burma, are heavily dependent on the fortunes of a single crop.

“The danger is of slipping into a position of economic dependence on the Soviet Union, whose interest in Burmese trade is not an economic interest, and which in future can buy or not buy as it finds expedient from mo-

tives that have nothing to do with rice.

“The present purchase, is an exceptional transaction. Probably it will not be repeated, and certainly it would be unwise of Burma to count on the Russians as regular customers,” it says. Asia’s New Year The “New York Times” said today that none of the basic problems of Asia was solved in 1955, and one could be sure that the new year in Asia would be stormy. “There is still the threat of Communist expansion and aggression from without and of infiltration and subversion from within,” it said. “There is still the crying need for more effective measures to deal with poverty, ignorance, disease, superstition, and fear.

“Nevertheless, some gains have been made during the year just ended. Several States in Asia go into the new year in a better position than that which prevailed a year ago. These gains have been regional rather than general, but they should not be underestimated.”

It was impossible, the newspaper said, to predict what was in store for the people in Communist China since the old year had brought only renewed hardship, more hunger, more truculence, more purges, and more systematic efforts to remove the good Chinese from the goodness of those who wished to be their friends.

“Asia’s new year will be stormy, of that we may be sure,” it added.