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CONDICTION IAL
ARCHIVES *'NATIONAL AND
RECORDS
SERVICE"
-62-
connect
There has been mention made of India as a center of
Asiatic operation. As I indicated before, I agree on
Nehru being a name and India being of great importance
but it is a mistake to put our Asiatic headquarters in
India because on the one hand there is the sensitivity
of India toward the British, just having come out from
under, and a greater sensitivity there toward others com-
ing in than there would be in other areas of Asia.
Then you get into the question of India and Pakistan
and the Hindu and Moslem religious issue which might be
questioned in having our headquarters in India.
Someone suggested that our headquarters should be in
Manila. The atmosphere then would be that we were return-
ing to Mianila rather than beginning a new Asiatic program.
There isn't the degree of democracy you would want in Siam.
The strong man's record with reference to the Japanese in
early 1942 is not good but when you consider that Siam
with approximately 17,000,000 people has one of the least
dense populations and best food sources and greatest
element of stability and good location for travel by sea
and air, I think you will come to feel that Bangkok is
the logical center on the mainland of Asia for a long-
term American program. Also, you have the fact that the
terrain is additional security as to both Burma and Malaya,
so in case of the greatest possible Communist onslaught
Bangkok would apparently be the last place to fall either
by attack or infiltration, even if you take a black look
at the future, and that is why I am inclined to feel for
a center of Asiatic economic aid, Bangkok is the place.
I emphasize that it is not to be a unilateral program
and not to be one that we in America will do alone. It
must be an aid to the people in Asia that help themselves,
but let us be sure it will get to the people and not
corrupt elements in the government. It will be a delicate
operation and let us be certain we do not become involved
in a joint operation with the British or French in a way
that would bring to us the onus of their past colonial
position. We do have a more favorable reputation in most
of Asia than they do. While we must work closely with
them in the world picture, let us not give ourselves this
integration in a new aid program by tying ourselves too
closely to them.
MR. EUGENE STALEY: I missed any reference to the
role of the United Nations or United Nations specialized
agencies
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"ocrText": "CONDICTION IAL\nARCHIVES *'NATIONAL AND\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\"\n-62-\nconnect\nThere has been mention made of India as a center of\nAsiatic operation. As I indicated before, I agree on\nNehru being a name and India being of great importance\nbut it is a mistake to put our Asiatic headquarters in\nIndia because on the one hand there is the sensitivity\nof India toward the British, just having come out from\nunder, and a greater sensitivity there toward others com-\ning in than there would be in other areas of Asia.\nThen you get into the question of India and Pakistan\nand the Hindu and Moslem religious issue which might be\nquestioned in having our headquarters in India.\nSomeone suggested that our headquarters should be in\nManila. The atmosphere then would be that we were return-\ning to Mianila rather than beginning a new Asiatic program.\nThere isn't the degree of democracy you would want in Siam.\nThe strong man's record with reference to the Japanese in\nearly 1942 is not good but when you consider that Siam\nwith approximately 17,000,000 people has one of the least\ndense populations and best food sources and greatest\nelement of stability and good location for travel by sea\nand air, I think you will come to feel that Bangkok is\nthe logical center on the mainland of Asia for a long-\nterm American program. Also, you have the fact that the\nterrain is additional security as to both Burma and Malaya,\nso in case of the greatest possible Communist onslaught\nBangkok would apparently be the last place to fall either\nby attack or infiltration, even if you take a black look\nat the future, and that is why I am inclined to feel for\na center of Asiatic economic aid, Bangkok is the place.\nI emphasize that it is not to be a unilateral program\nand not to be one that we in America will do alone. It\nmust be an aid to the people in Asia that help themselves,\nbut let us be sure it will get to the people and not\ncorrupt elements in the government. It will be a delicate\noperation and let us be certain we do not become involved\nin a joint operation with the British or French in a way\nthat would bring to us the onus of their past colonial\nposition. We do have a more favorable reputation in most\nof Asia than they do. While we must work closely with\nthem in the world picture, let us not give ourselves this\nintegration in a new aid program by tying ourselves too\nclosely to them.\nMR. EUGENE STALEY: I missed any reference to the\nrole of the United Nations or United Nations specialized\nagencies"
}