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the India-U. S. relationship had be–
come so impaired that his own personal
mail is beiog opened and examined!
I will just interject here, that if such
a thing had occurred in the early part
of this century when President Roose–
velt was President of the U. S., such
a thing would not have been tolerated.
The U. S. would have taken prompt
and decisive action!
Ambassador Keating's prívate plane
is grounded, and he is refused permis–
sion to use it, except to
fly
out of the
country. What a response
that
would
have met from "Teddy" Roosevelt!
The way governments in this world
operate there can never be world peace
until a
STRONGER FORCE -
that
"unseen Strong Hand from Sorne–
place" - intervenes and rules
ALL
NATIONS
in
TOTAL POWER!
At this same dinner we met the
Ambassador from Chile. He insisted
on our visiting his country, and on
arranging a meeting with President
Allende of Chile. He has been much
in the news, as the first self-avowed
Marxist to win a free democratic elec–
tion in the Western hemisphere.
The next day, at
5:15
p.m., I met
for the fourth time with President
V. V. Giri of India, in his giant
colonial palace, formerly occupied by
the British Governor-General when
India was ruled from London.
President Giri had a few days before
addressed the Indian Parliament on its
opening. He, too, commented on the
strained relations between India and
the U. S.
He said, "There was great dis–
appointment in our country at the
lack of sympathy displayed by the
Government of the United States of
America towards the struggle of the
people of Bangladesh (East Pakistan)
.... Public opinion in the United
States has expressed this sympathy in
abundant measure and has been critica!
of the policies of the erstwhile military
regime of Pakistan. This gives us bope
that our relations with the United
States of America,
based on mut11al
respect and tmderstm1di11g,
will not
be allowed to deteriorate."
46
In regard to President Nixon's visit
to Pebng he said, "We hope that this
will lead to a true relaxation of ten–
sions, and not a sharpening of divi–
sions."
When I last saw President Giri,
our meeting was at Madras at the
governor's mansion. He was leaving
the following morning on a state visit
to Singapore. After our meeting at
Madras, we had flown back to New
Delhi, and we, also, were flying next
morning to Singapore. We had King
Leopold of Belgium with us on tbat
trip - as far as Singapore. Mr. Giri
told us about his state visit to Singa–
pore last autumn, and his impending
state visit
to
Thailand.
He had previously been informed
that the Prime Minister of Ceylon
had invited us to visit her country.
He urged us to accept the invitation,
and reminded us that he had served
from
1947
through
1951
as India's
High Comrnissioner to Ceylon.
He said that I was one working
constantly for world peace and better
understanding between nations and
peoples, and wished me continued
health and vigor to continue this im–
portant Work.
The following day we were guests
again of Dr. Singh. This time he had
also invited the ambassadors from Ar–
gentina and from Sudan (in Africa).
Both ambassadors were eager to have
me visit their respective countries.
Also present was the very dynamic
personality, Dr. Karni Singh, the
Maharajah of Bikiner. I had met him
before. He had shown us a large book
with pictures of his large and gran–
diese palace. Dr. Karni Singh (and
there appear to be as many Singhs in
India as Smiths or Joneses in the
United States) is a conservative mem–
ber of Parliament and one of the
important leaders of the party in op–
position to Mrs. Gandhi. He expressed
his feelings openly. India, he contends,
by reason of Mrs. Gandhi's policies,
has fallen into the vise of the Brezhnev
doctrine - in essence, that any nation
accepting aid from Russia will not
be able to extricate itself from the
Soviet's sphere of influence at a Jater
time. He referred
to
the experiences
of Czechoslovakia and Hungary.
1
had hoped to have another
meet–
ing with Mes. Gandhi later that day.
But she advised that it would be bet–
ter - especially since I had seen
Ambassador Keating - to
see
her on
our next visit, when, bopefully, rela–
tions between the United States and
India would be improved.
High Commissioner Dias from Cey–
lon had heard about our worldwide
activities through Dr. Singh, and met
with Mr. Rader and Mr. Gotoh shortly
after we arrived in New Delhi. He
wanted his Prime Minister to meet
me. He contacted her by telephone,
and an invitation was extended from
her office to our party, to visit Ceylon.
Sorne years ago I had broadcasted
for two years on Radio Ceylon -
then one of the most powerful radio
stations in the world. We received a
good response, not only from Ceylon
and India, but from Burma, Malaysia,
Singapore, aod points on the east
coast of Africa. Conseguently the
invitation to visit Ceylon, which I had
never before done, appealed to me.
The Ceylonese High Comrnissioner
at New Delhi held the same rank
as an ambassador. We invited him to
fly to Ceylon with us. We fiew to
the capital of Ceylon, Colombo, on
Thursday, March 23. We were wel–
comed at tbe airport by the Chief of
Protocol. Our meeting with the Prime
Minister was set for 4:30 Friday af–
ternoon. At 3:30 that afternoon we
were escorted by the Chief of Protocol
to the palace of the Governor-General
(who is appointed by Queen Elizabeth
of England, because Ceylon, though
independent, is still a Commonwealth
nation). There we sigued the official
guest book, as a preliminary to our
invitation to dinner at the palace,
named Queen's House, with the
Governor-General and bis wife on
Saturday evening.
At 4:30 Friday afternoon, High
Commissioner Días met us at tl1e hotel
and we were driven to the official resi–
dencc of the Prime Minister, Mrs.
PLAIN TRUTH June 1972