Page 316 - 1970S

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send his official car to meet us at the
airport.
Dr. Singh's home here in New Delhi
is an official state residence. At the large
entrance gate was a uniformed guard,
who saluted as we passed. We were met
at the residence entrance by a brightly
uniformed servant. He ushered us into
a large living room, where we were met
with a brisk, smiling and warm hand–
shake by His Excellency Dr. Singh. He
is charmingly jovial. One knows
instantly that he is a man of exceptional
intellect, with an alert, outgoing, vigor–
ous, warm personality.
Have you supposed, from incorrect
descriptions of India, that most lndians
are illiterate? India today has free com–
pulsory cducation through age 14.
There are now 62 universities, 1,946
colleges, and 27 research institutes. The
principal Janguages are Hindi and
English, although there are 12 other
main Janguages.
Dr. Singh holds six or seven doctor's
degrees, besides a few others. He is one
of the world's leaders in working for
peace through International Law ( he is
a leading authority), and author of a
number of books, of which he presented
me with four and a pamphlet. He is up
and dictating by 7 :00 in the morniog.
We arrived at his residence at 1:00 in
the afternoon. It was one of those hot
and humid days in early September.
First he took us out through a lanai
onto a patio to show us his spacious and
exceptionally beautiful grounds and
gardens, then into a large combination
dining and living room. There we were
introduced, first to his wife, a beautiful
and charming woman, then to His
Highness, the Maharaja of Tripura, and
to Her Highness the Maharaja's wife,
beautiful, young and charming. The
women were costumed in Indian saris.
I started to tell them we had a very
talented young Indian woman doctor on
our faculty at our English campus,
when one of the women smiliogly
picked up a copy of the Ambassador
College ENVOY (student yearbook) and
pointed out to me Dr. Grace Carpenter's
picture.
Jt
was a pleasure to see a copy
of our student yearbook in their home.
A scintillating and interesting con–
versation ]asted for nearly three hours.
Her Highness, the Maharani, asked me
The
PLAIN TRUTH
why, when America has given more
generous help to other nations than any
country on earth, we are so generally
disliked by the rest of thc world.
All Americans ought to ask them–
selves that c¡uestion. Part, I fecl sure, is
due to Communist adverse propaganda
against the United States. Perhaps the
answer lies also, in part, in jealousy
because of American affiuencc and high
living standard. But I am convinced
also that part of it has been caused by
American tourists travelling abroad for
the first time in their lives.
I have seen many of my fellow citi–
zens from the United Statcs, suddenly
for the .first time being able to afford a
tour abroad, behaving in a disgustingly
overbearing and insulting manner. They
act as if the people of all other
couotries are inferior, and Americans
are superior. They forget that they
actually are unofficial representativcs of
their country, and that they should try
to behave so that other peoples
like
us,
not bate us.
A Delightful Luncheon
After we had chatted a little while,
brightly uniformed servants began serv–
ing. First a delicious soup with bar–
ley was served in cups before we went
to the dining table. Then, at thc table, a
typical Indian Juncheon with a some–
what dominant curry flavor, of which l
am very fond.
Soon we were joined at lunchcon by
another Maharaja, from Nepal. Nepal
is at the border of Red China. There
have been a few border incidents
there, but it seems to be c¡uiet now.
The Himalayan mountain chain runs
through Nepal - the highest moun–
tains in the world, including Mt. Ever–
est, 29,028 fect, highest point in the
world. I t seems significant that when we
are in Jerusalem, we are close to the
Dead Sea,
Jowest
point on the earth.
Since Ambassador collcge is in joint
participation with Hebrew University in
the world's Jargest archaeological proj–
ect, I visit Jerusalem frec¡uently, and of
course have been clown to the Dcad Sea
a few times.
At the table 1 was seated to the right
of Mme. Singh, as guest of honor. She
sat at the head of the table. At the other
end of the table the only othcr woman,
October-November L970
the Maharani, was placed, with Mr.
Rader at her right, and Dr. Singh at her
left, across the table from Mr. Rader.
Between Dr. Singh and myself was
seated the Maharaja from Tripura.
Dirt>Ctly across from him was seated Mr.
Gotoh, and at Mr. Gotoh's right, and
directly across from me and to the left
of Mme. Singh, was the other Maharaja.
I had sat ne.xt to the beautiful young
Maharani on a sofa before luncheon,
and found her to be a very talentcd
and brilliant conversationalist. During
luncheon Mr. Rader discussed many
subjects with her, including law and
education. She and her husband, the
Maharaja, invited us to vis it them in
Tripura on our next visit to India in
Deccmber. They are rightly proud of
their little country, and we would very
much like to pay them a visit.
We also received an invitation from
the other Maharaja to visit him in Nepal.
Touring N ew Delhi
But now back to the automobile tour
of New Delhi, and also of the Old City,
from which 1 have just returned. New
Delhi is the national capital and a very
beautiful city. There are many very
large public parks.
It
is a modero city,
well planned. There are many large and
beautiful homes. Beautiful trees, shrubs,
and Aowers are everywhere. It is an
<:xt reme opposite from the intense con–
gestion of the city center of the Old
City - a feeling of spaciousness, charm
and bcauty.
The President's palace is a superb
edifice, quite large, architecturally beau–
tiful, surrounded by well-designed,
magni.ficent laodscaping. The other gov–
ernment buildings are a credit to the
nation. We were driveo past the home
of Madame Indica Gandhi, India's
Prime Minister. She prefers to live in a
comparatively small house - by Heads–
of-State standards -
yet
it appeared
very modern and surrounded by beau–
tifully landscaped grounds.
Then we were driven clown Embassy
Row, undoubtedly the most beautiful
boulevard in India, and one of the most
beautiful in the world. All major
nations have modern and elegant
embassy buildings, each with its flag
Aying. I asked our driver which nation
(Contimred on page 47)