January 12, 1957 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY great deal of discontent, cynicism accepted as a firm objective, pro­ and execution? and lack of faith which is corrod­ gressive participation of labour in After an exhaustive elaboration ing the administration at every the conduct of industry has been of the aims and ideals—in fairness stage and undermining public defined as the aim of industrial it must also be admitted, giving them morale. This is because. among democracy and accepted as the more concrete expression than in the other reasons, the author of the other objective; agricultural co­ past -the manifesto has this small manifesto is a supreme literary operatives and co-operative village paragraph on the method of execu­ artist, but. he has no grip over the management have been defined and tion: administration of which lie is the accepted as the counterpart of indus­ architect nor has he a thorough trial democracy. "The administrative machinery should be adapted to suit the pur­ grasp of the processes of change All this is to be attained, it has through which the country must poses of the Plan. Cumbrous pro­ been reiterated at every step, only cedures and red tape should be pass for his magnificent dreams to through democratic methods. That become a reality. avoided and it should be so organi­ is to say, peoples' willing acceptance sed that rapid decisions are taken The manifesto traces the deve­ of the aims and ready co-operation and given effect to. In particular, lopment of Congress aims by in their realisation have been laid it should not isolate itself from the stages from the betterment of the down as the criterion, for policy people but function in co-operation masses and the under-privileged to decisions and actual execution. with them." the objective of establishing a socia­ There is the implied assurance that list pattern of society. In the mani­ coercion will not be resorted to in . This is too amorphous a base and festo some of the objectives in the either case. What is the value of too insecure, on which to raise such Second Plan have been filled in and such promises when the Congress a magnificent edifice. Profession a more concrete and complete pic­ has not succeeded in evolving a of democracy is unavailing in the ture of the socialist pattern as the workable method of popular parti­ face of growing authoritarianism Congress sees it has been clearly cipation in any of the major fields and centralisation; any day a better drawn. Earlier promises have been of national activity, either in arriv­ chit to the Congress would be great­ made more specific—a national ing at the correct decisions and er evidence of its responsiveness to minimum for everyone has been policy making or implementation the peoples' thoughts and feelings. The Eisenhower Doctrine IF the Truman Doctrine stretched will not. distort the Eisenhower receive both economic and military America's frontiers to Ankara, Doctrine in pursuance of his policy aid from America without abandon­ the Eisenhower Doctrine is an an­ of "deterrence". ing their policy of neutrality. With nouncement by President Eisenhower As the avowed aim of the Eisen­ vision and determination, west that, subject to the approval of hower Doctrine is to contain Com­ Asian powers can enjoy the mate­ Congress, it is Washington's policy munism in west Asia, can it, the rial and military benefits of the to extend the territorial boundaries question naturally arises, avoid an Eisenhower Doctrine without suffer­ of the United States to the en stern intensification of the "cold war" in ing from its involved undesirable most part of west Asia. Both doc­ that region? That essentially depends consequences and commitments. trines mean and imply expansion of upon the diplomacy and statesman­ At this stage of the argument, it America's spheres of influence over ship of the politicians and ruling may not be irrelevant to revert to territories which are far beyond parties in west Asia. Even though the theory, discussed in this journal America's sovereign jurisdiction. the Eisenhower Doctrine is basically more than once in recent weeks. Even as the Truman Doctrine was a projection of Washington's North Despite the Eisenhower Doctrine's the origin of the "cold war" in Eur- Atlantic policy to west Asia, it may over-emphasis on containing Com­ munism, it is no bar to joint econo­ opet the Eisenhower Doctrine is wide­ remain perpetually a burden and ly deplored as an attempt to start the responsibility for America and mic exploitation of west Asia with "cold war" in west Asia In its aim, America alone. Marshall Aid and the Soviet Union. It would, in retros­ neither the Truman Doctrine nor the the Truman Doctrine created NATO. pect be not wrong to presume that Eisenhower Doctrine is vague. Both Economic and military aid offered the contours of the Eisenhower doctrines have the common declared to west Asia under the Eisenhower Doctrine were sketched as Commu­ nist military equipment began to be objective of containing Communism. Doctrine may not succeed in creat­ supplied to Egypt and, then, to Both doctrines imply, and rely on, ing MEDO. Turkey, Iran and Syria. There would seem to be not the Dulles policy of "deterrence". Pakistan are not west Asian coun­ the least shadow of any doubt that Even so, the Eisenhower Doctrine tries. With the sole exception of the Russian threat to Britain and may not, necessarily, intensify the Iraq, no west Asian country is a France that she would intervene with "cold war" in west Asia. If it does member of the Baghdad Pact. volunteers and "rockets" if the not provoke this undesirable sequ­ Almost all west Asian countries Anglo-French aggression against ence it will be because the present resisted MEDO, when it was origi­ Egypt did not end, provoked conditions in west Asia are different nally mooted as an adjunct of NATO. Washington to plan out the details from those prevailing in Europe at Events since then would seem to lend of the Eisenhower Doctrine. As It weight to the assumption that west the time of the enunciation of the became evident that the hasty Anglo- Truman Doctrine. This interpreta­ Asian powers will be more vehement French aggression would lead to a tion of the Eisenhower Doctrine is now in their opposition to revived permanent loss of prestige and au­ based on the assumption that Presi­ American attempts to establish thority of Britain and France In west dent Eisenhower's Secretary of State MEDO. West Asian powers may Asia, the final touches were added 34 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY January 12, 1957 to the Eisenhower Doctrine as a Arab States, and the future of the his policy, he elaborates the strategic device to fill the resultant power Arab refugees. There is the problem and economic importance of west vacuum. With President Eisen­ of the future status of the Suez Asia. His" argument is that, without hower's triumphant return to Wash­ Canal.... It is not the purpose of the Eisenhower Doctrine, "Western ington, the Eisenhower Doctrine the legislation, I propose" President Europe would be endangered just as has now been announced. These Eisenhower confesses, "to deal dir­ though there had been no Marshall are the "cold war" aspects of the ectly with these problems". These Plan, no North Atlantic Treaty Doctrine. difficult issues, President Eisenhower Organisation". This is an open ad­ concedes, would exist quite apart mission that the Eisenhower Doctrine But recent reports about America's from the threat of international Is expected to fill the political vac­ gestures of economic help to Egypt Communism. There are, perhaps, uum created by the ignominous and the Eisenhower's Doctrine's not many instances in history where retreat of Britain and France from major emphasis on economic co­ a sponsor of any policy has so west Asia. In rejecting the Eisen­ operation and assistance (the studied eloquently damnified it as President hower Doctrine, west Asian coun­ avoidance of the aid aspect of eco­ Eisenhower has himself condemned tries will echo Pandit Nehru's warn­ nomic help is not without signifi­ the Eisenhower Doctrine. There is' ing, some years ago to the Paris cance) reflect Washington's belated another phrase in President Eisen­ session of the General Assembly, reaction to Moscow's policy to Asia hower's address before Congress that Asian problems could no longer since the Geneva Summit Conference. which is no less objectionable. In be solved in the context of Europe Even though economic assistance to his appeal to Congress to endorse alone. west Asian countries is offered for "the maintenance of national in­ dependence", and not explicitly for economic improvement, the gesture is more open and without any strings. Military aid is offered only to those west Asian countries who seek such assistance. There is a similar rider to the proposed use of American armed forces in this region. This last proposal has a further condition that the American armed forces can be employed in west Asia only "against overt armed aggression from any nation controlled by in­ ternational Communism". President Eisenhower expresses the hope that no occasion will ever arise to under­ take this last action to enforce the Eisenhower Doctrine for security in west Asia. President Eisenhower's hopes are not likely to be falsified by events. No "overt armed aggres­ sion" is likely by any nation "con­ trolled by international Commu­ nism". Syria is unlikely to attack her powerful neighbours like Turkey, Iraq and Israel, though there are more chances of Iraq or Israel com­ mitting acts of aggression against Syria or Jordan. There is always the possibility of combined aggression by Arabs against Jews, or by Israel against Arab States But Washing­ ton's offer, under the Eisenhower Doctrine, to supply military equip­ ment to countries in this region is a partial assurance that any future aggression in this region will not necessarily be aided and abetted by International Communism. That , the Eisenhower Doctrine may perpetuate the "cold war" in west Asia, is not its major flaw. Its basic defect is, as President Eisen­ hower confesses himself, that it will not, and is not expected to, solve the problems that plague this region. "There are the problems of Palestine and relations between Israel and