Envoy's Gloomy Report On Far East

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23218, 1 April 1950, Page 5

Envoy's Gloomy Report On Far East

WASHINGTON, March 30. Dr. Philip Jessup, American Ambas-sador-at-large, told the Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate today that he was disturbed about relations between India and Pakistan.

Dr. Jessup, who recently returned from a policy survey in the Far East and South-east Asia, was fairly optimistic about conditions in Japan and Korea, but he made a gloomy report on the situation in Indo-China, Burma and Siam.

The New York Times diplomatic correspondent reported Dr. Jessup as saying that Indo-China, Burma and Siam, in that order, were major problems in South-East Asia. There was need in Indo-China for small arms and for economic help in support of the French. That kind of support, if given, might slowly overcome the challenge of rival Communist forces. He added, however, that problems throughout South-East Asia did not lend themselves to quick or dramatic solutions. Dramatic or military action by the United States was not required.

Dr. Jessup said factors hampering American policy in South-East Asia included: Firstly, distortion by Communist propaganda of American motives; secondly, the success of the Communists in portraying the inevitability of a Communist victory, thirdly, fear among the Chinese people all over South-East Asia that their relatives in China would be punished by the Chinese Communists if they did not support the Communist cause.

American economic aid to South-East Asia, Dr. Jessup thought, could assist other countries—notably Britain and France—to pacify the area. The Secretary of State, Mr. Dean Acheson. emphasised the need for increasing funds to combat communism in the Far East. Both Mr. Acheson and Dr. Jessup supported President Truman’s request for 45,000,000 dollars for the programme for the world’s underdeveloped areas. It is understood Mr. Acheson and Dr. Jessup stressed the need for authority to spend in "the general area of China” about 100,000,000 dollars in the funds left over from last year’s China aid programme.