Ask the Scholar
Page 8 of 18
I can add historical knowledge about this page.
Page image
OCR
-5-
We will be wiser, I believe, to base our plans on the
probability that within five years the Chinese Communists
will have accomplished enough in some areas to provide their
propaganda experts with some very persuasive material and
that they will make skillful use of such material.
If in this same period the Indian economy is allowed
to stagnate, the contrast between the rosy reports which
will be pouring into India from the North and the hard
continuing fact of Indian poverty and misery could readily
create a most critical situation.
This potential danger may be increased by the long
range weakness of Indian leadership. Mr. Nehru and his
associates, who have been brought up in our own democratic
tradition and who, in spite of our disappointment at some
of their actions, are personally dedicated to those trad-
itions, will then be five years older and probably less
effective. There are only a few younger men of established
ability to replace them.
Moreover, for the last few years the present Government
leaders have been coasting to a large degree on the
loyalties developed during the long fight for independence.
Unless there is a definite improvement in the well-being of
the average Indian citizen, these loyalties will gradually
wear thin.
In this unstable kind of setting we would surely see
the rapid growth of Communist organizations throughout
India. If these organizations in their early stages were
organized with a minimum of violence and threats, they could
be vastly more effective than the Communist Party is today.
the
If they were able to convince even a sizable minority
of the Indian people that the Communist Government was
the
moving rapidly ahead in China, while the Indian Government
had failed, the present democratic society could rapidly
disintegrate. Since there is no strong second man avail-
able, the death or serious illness of Mr. Nehru would speed
up this process considerably.
Clearly, if India should go, the whole vast area from
Cairo to Tokyo would be in grave danger. Southeast Asia
would be outflanked to the East and the Middle East would
be outflanked to the West. We would be cut off completely
from some of the world's richest resources, and eventually
faced with a dangerous increase in Communist manpower.
Page data
- Page
- 8
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- f93053ce20ea5079
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 269701917
- Core
- doc
- Type
- document
DTO data
{
"id": "269701917",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/269701917",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Correspondence Between President Harry S. Truman and Chester Bowles, with Attachment",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/269701917",
"collections": [
"President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
"Subject Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750301/750301-07-001.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750301/750301-07-001.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750301/750301-07-001.jpg",
"imageCount": 18,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
{
"localId": "269701917",
"label": "Correspondence Between President Harry S. Truman and Chester Bowles, with Attachment",
"core": "doc",
"dtoType": "document",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/269701917"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "269701917",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/269701917",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Correspondence Between President Harry S. Truman and Chester Bowles, with Attachment",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/269701917",
"collections": [
"President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
"Subject Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750301/750301-07-001.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750301/750301-07-001.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750301/750301-07-001.jpg",
"imageCount": 18,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Document source extras
{
"url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/269701917",
"naId": 269701917,
"levelOfDescription": "item",
"productionDates": [
{
"logicalDate": "1951-12-01",
"month": 12,
"year": 1951
}
],
"recordType": "description",
"ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}
Page context
{
"seq": 8,
"pageIndex": 0,
"type": "photo",
"url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750301/750301-07-008.jpg",
"mediaId": "f93053ce20ea5079",
"ocrText": "-5-\nWe will be wiser, I believe, to base our plans on the\nprobability that within five years the Chinese Communists\nwill have accomplished enough in some areas to provide their\npropaganda experts with some very persuasive material and\nthat they will make skillful use of such material.\nIf in this same period the Indian economy is allowed\nto stagnate, the contrast between the rosy reports which\nwill be pouring into India from the North and the hard\ncontinuing fact of Indian poverty and misery could readily\ncreate a most critical situation.\nThis potential danger may be increased by the long\nrange weakness of Indian leadership. Mr. Nehru and his\nassociates, who have been brought up in our own democratic\ntradition and who, in spite of our disappointment at some\nof their actions, are personally dedicated to those trad-\nitions, will then be five years older and probably less\neffective. There are only a few younger men of established\nability to replace them.\nMoreover, for the last few years the present Government\nleaders have been coasting to a large degree on the\nloyalties developed during the long fight for independence.\nUnless there is a definite improvement in the well-being of\nthe average Indian citizen, these loyalties will gradually\nwear thin.\nIn this unstable kind of setting we would surely see\nthe rapid growth of Communist organizations throughout\nIndia. If these organizations in their early stages were\norganized with a minimum of violence and threats, they could\nbe vastly more effective than the Communist Party is today.\nthe\nIf they were able to convince even a sizable minority\nof the Indian people that the Communist Government was\nthe\nmoving rapidly ahead in China, while the Indian Government\nhad failed, the present democratic society could rapidly\ndisintegrate. Since there is no strong second man avail-\nable, the death or serious illness of Mr. Nehru would speed\nup this process considerably.\nClearly, if India should go, the whole vast area from\nCairo to Tokyo would be in grave danger. Southeast Asia\nwould be outflanked to the East and the Middle East would\nbe outflanked to the West. We would be cut off completely\nfrom some of the world's richest resources, and eventually\nfaced with a dangerous increase in Communist manpower."
}