Mr Nehru In Washington

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28154, 18 December 1956, Page 15

Mr Nehru In Washington

(Rec. 7 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Dec. 16. Mr Jawaharal Nehru, Prime Minister of India, arrived in Washington today for talks with President Eisenhower. He was greeted with full military honours, including a 19-gun salute at Washington’s National Airport. “I consider it a great privilege that I should have this opportunity to meet the President and talk with him at this important and even critical moment,” Mr Nehru told the VicePresident (Mr Richard Nixon), who welcomed him at the airport. Mr Nixon told Mr Nehru that the talks would hold very great significance at “this very decisive moment in history.” He said that the discussions should contribute not only to a better United States-Indian understanding, but also to world peace. Mr Nehru described India as the largest democracy in the world, and the United States as the second largest. Mr Nehru was flown to Washington from London in Mr Eisenhower’s personal aeroplane, the Columbine. His arrival was delayed for 26 minutes by a fire in the nose of a United States Air Force 825 bomber after it landed at the Washington airport. Mrs Nehru and his daughter, Mrs Indira Gandhi, were luncheon guests at the White House.