American Policy

In a leading article the Manchester Guardian comments that "when the conference of officials met at Colombo and made an uninformative statement, it was thought at the time to be due to caution but now it seems to have been due to embarrassment. When the plan was debated last autumn the Americans gave the impression that they thought it was just what South Asia wanted. What caused this change of mind?" After asking this extremely significant question, the Guardian carefully avoids answering it. They continue by stating the new American view but cannot, or dare not, suggest why that policy was reversed. "Apparently the American view now is, that each individual country should prepare its individual plan and approach the United States separately for the dollar aid which it needs. The essence of the Colombo plan was that it was prepared by the Aslans themselves." The article proceeds with a grossly patronising remark: "This was good for the prestige of the countries or Asians themselves."

The Guardian explains the essence of the Colombo plan at least as it appears to it. "Working through the Colombo plan, they avoid the feeling that they were client states of the U.S.A. and overcome their fears that political strings would be attached to the loans? Who can seriously doubt that the original philanthropy which started the scheme has long ago been tossed overboard? If concrete proof needs to be adduced, what else but sordid political considerations have prevented the United States from sending grain to India? Those dying of starvation in Bihar province today might have lived if India had not dared to be a Daniel in the Security Council discussions on the question of China and Korea. Very apologetically the Guardian explains that the U.S.A has tried to sugar the pill by making it known that it will go ahead with its Point Four programme which can be "dovetailed' with the Colombo plan. It cannot be gainsaid that whatever pious intentions professed by Washington, as far as the Asian countries are concerned "the fears of political strings are well justified." The article in the Guardian ends on a very strange note indeed: "The effort will be less well planned if there are Commonwealth and American schemes running side by side. There will be overlaps and waste." The article ends with the remark "temptation to borrowers to play off lenders against one another will be inevitable."