Burma's U Nu Reality

but must get an export permit for his undeveloped film, a rather perfunc A New Look in Politicians tory procedure. As I said at the beginning, one has to see what is going on with his own eyes before he can realize what the picture unfolds. China is a socialist state, a managed economy adhering to the teachings of Karl Marx, with some modifications to meet Chinese Burma's U Nu reality. The state is supreme, man an instrument-therefore, he can't be by LEONARD S. KENWORTHY really free. There is none of the com rade technique; there is no pretense that all are equal. One is rewarded in the material sense according to his FEW WEEKS ago I made a journey and shook my hand vigorously was talents and his responsibilities; but A to the sleepy Burmese town of not the man I had expected to meet. the plunder, the privilege, and cor Moulmein, about a hundred miles U Nu is short and stocky, with close ruption are said to be gone. One across the bay from Rangoon, not to cropped hair turning gray in spots, wonders what China would be like see Kipling's famous pogoda, but to a light tan complexion, and a virility today if over the last 150 years it interview U Nu, Burma's prime min which belies the pictures of him. He had moved along the lines of demo ister and one of the great political was dressed in the traditional and cratic progress instead of exploitation leaders of our times. colorful Burmese costume. In place and corruption. The wind was sown, of a western shirt he wore the ingyi, the whirlwind is being reaped. When I arrived in Burma, I was told it would be impossible to see a short-waisted, long-sleeved, loose Twenty-five per cent of the world's U Nu, as he was not in the capital fitting jacket with an open collar. In population lives in China; as I said, city of Rangoon and all the seats on place of trousers was the longyi, a in 20 years its population may be boats .and airplanes to Moulmein had long piece of cloth with a checkered one-half of the world's. Their present been reserved for weeks in anticipa pattern, wrapped around the waist rate of progress is beyond description tion of the approaching Water Festi and tied in front in a knot. In place -but they have, as I have said, a val holiday. But visiting Burma on of shoes were the toe-thonged sandals million miles to go before the masses a tour of new nations and their lead of this part of the world. But he did have a semblance of a decent stand ers and not seeing U Nu would be not wear the gaung baung, the tight ard of living. They are moving fast, like going to Paris on a sightseeing fitting turban with a bow on the however. If one can picture a future tour and missing the Eiffel Tower. right side, worn by men of distinc nation of one billion people-skilled, So I planned, plotted, and persisted. tion in Burma. educated, industrialized, and with The dividend on my investment of Unlike the other leaders I had a capactiy for work that beggars de-. effort came in an interview with him met, he took the lead immediately by scription-the high cost economy of on a Sunday afternoon on the porch saying, "I understand you plan to the West is eventually in for revision. of the teachers college where he was write a book about world leaders. I We of the West want no part of the staying. hope you are planning to include political and economic philosophy Frank Buchman." that governs such stateS--but I won I wondered as I waited for him to der if we had had a similar experi· appear if he really was the peer of I caught my breath, swallowed a ence as a people how we would feel men like Nehru, with whom he has moment, determined not to be about it. The answer seems to be been compared. Would he live up to cornered in the first five seconds, and clear. Max Lerner's estimate: "I know of agreed that Buchman, the leader of no one in Asia who matches him in Regarding .the so-called recognition the Moral Rearmament movement, the combination of humanity, adroit was certainly a prominent figure in of China in the political sense, one ness, and moral force"? just does not see how 600 million the world today but that I was writ- people, which may be a billion before My first sight of U Nu startled me. . ing on the political leaders of new too long, can be given myopic treat I had seen many photographs of his nations and therefore couldn't in ment. Just how face is to be saved round and rather sweet face and clude Buchman. there presents a ·staggering problem. cherubic smile. But the man who stepped briskly out onto the porch "But you could call the volume There is every ·indication that ·the World Leaders and thus include people of China as a whole are satis him," U Nu maintained. fied with their government. It seems to meet their needs and it seems to be LEONARD S. KENWORTHY, professor of What a persistent person! I had conscious of a great job to be done Social Studies at Brooklyn College, re· known of U Nu's intense interest in cently completed an extensive swing religion in general, in the revival of to lift ·the standard of living and the through Asia and Africa where he inter general way of life of the masses out viewed the rulers of newly independent Buddhism in particular, and in Moral of the black hopelessness that pre countries in preparation for writing a Rearmament, but this tack I had not vailed ·in .the past. book on that subject. expected. So I said I might be able

October, 1958 33 ---- to write on Buchman someday as a perseverance, and hopes, basing all letter merely to show that I am tell man who had affected many lives our activities on the solid foundation ing the truth?' Then, at the annual around the globe, but today I was of our mental faculties, material re meeting of students I denounced the interested in U Nu as a leader of sources, and manpower.'' principal and was expelled. The Burma, of Asia, and of the world. Looking for other explanations of whole university went on strike to "I have learned very little from others a motivation for overcoming a pretty support me.'' or from your writings about your sordid early life and remembering his Actually, about 700 out of 2,000 rather hectic youth and wonder if keen interest in writing, I asked, students went on strike, but it was you would comment on how you "Had you started to write while still one of the early signs of U Nu's dis overcame your habit of drinking to in your teens?" content and a forerunner of much excess while still a boy." _"Yes," he said, "about the time I more wide-spread support for ousting "Through sheer will power," he re was 16. Whenever I ~aw moonlight, the British from Burma. But U Nu plied immediately and forcefully. heard good music, looked at beautiful did not tell me that years later he "Some people have asked me if I flowers, I had the urg.e to write." made a point of visiting that same didn't have a feeling that I was a "And were there other influences in principal in England and apologizing man of destiny and that great forces your life at this time?'' I asked. for many of his actions while a stud were at work on me. No, I never had U Nu's answer came readily, for I ent, demonstrating an outstanding that feeling. I wanted to do what was talking with a man who is in characteristic of his-the ability to was good rather than what was bad. terested in people and is a philoso admit openly that he has made I had started drinking at the age of pher as well as a politician and writ mistakes. nine. From 13 or 14 to 18, I drank er. "I am not exaggerating when I much more heavily than other say I cannot stand injustice-to any In the years after college he taught students my age. I was in the Uni one. While I was in the University for a time and studied law. He joined versity College at the time. Then I College I was incensed whenever I various independence movements and failed. I was struck by a deep sense saw the British authorities deal with served as foreign minister under the of shame. This haunted me. When students unjustly. For example, many puppet government at the time of the other people went to bed, I could not students saluted the principal and Ja:panese occupation of Burma dur sleep. Then, one night, walking the teachers. I thought that was a ing World War II. I was aware that alone, I thought, 'If only I could be humiliating thing to do and rebelled he had tried to settled down to writ good, give up drinking, I could pass against it. At public meetings I urged ing in his home town of W akema those exams.' At that moment I made students riot to salute, but merely to but had been pressured by General a vow not to touch wine for five years. say 'Good morning' or 'Hello'.'' Aung San into running for a seat in Actually I did not touch it for seven the Constituent Assembly, which was years, from the age of 18 to 25." elected in 1947 to draft a constitution Some might say that this is too. ·=== for the new Burma. The British had finally agreed to a constitution after simple an explanation. But his an This confirmed the story I had swer reflected U Nu's basic philoso the Labor Party had come into pow read and heard-that he had joined er. But I had been baffled by why phy-that a person (or a nation) can the independence movement for Bur determine what he wants to do, Burma had chosen not to join the ma in his student days and had be British Commonwealth, the only discipline himself, and accomplish. come a leader in students' efforts to his aims. He adheres firmly to a colony of the post World War II win more freedom for themselves and period which had made this decision. schedule of early morning periods of their nation. He continued his ac prayer and meditation, makes fre count of those days, telling how he "It was because we wanted to be quent pilgrimages and religious began to organize resistan.ce to the independent," U Nu replied to my retreats. British. question on this point. Then he His speeches are filled with refer "I was president of the University seemed to sense that he ought to ences to aims, goals, and purposes as of Rangoon student union at that "cover" himself and added quickly, "pillars.'' An example is his statement time. One day a student complained "Not that the Commonwealth coun that "The beautiful edifice of a suc to me that the principal had refused tries aren't independent. But we cessful, useful, and happy life is built him permission to go home for a re thought we could be more indepen on five pillars, the strength of body, ligious fete-a time when Burmese dent outside the Commonwealth than the strength of knowledge, the families want everyone to be present. in it. We were not connected with the strength of morality, the strength The principal had asked for proof British racially, religiously, or cul of wealth, and the strength of that there was such an occasion and turally. Moreover, if we had stayed friendship." the boy had produced a letter from in the Commonwealth, the Commu In a similar fashion he speaks of his sister which the principal refused nists in Burma would have said, 'See, goals for the nation. "If we earnestly as proof because it should have been we are not really free.' We empha yearn for the five qualities of right from his mother. I shook with rage sized this point with the British and nationhood, which are good educa at this story, went to the principal's they listened and did not press us.'' tion, good health, good economic office myself within a few days with There were other points he might position, good character, and good a similar request, and refused to have added. One is the historic isola fellowship among all races, we must show him any letter, saying, 'Why tion of Burma, based in large part exert our efforts with great courage, should I hand over to you a personal on its geographical position. Another

34 The PROGRESSIVE - is the fact that men who led the new been united. But they could not per cent of whose people are group in Burma were younger than unite, for they represented such Buddhist. those in India, Pakistan, and Ceylon, diverse political viewpoints and dif But after talking with many per and they had not had their training ferent ethnic groups. sons who know him well, reading in England. Moreover, they were not Over the years the number of dis through scores of his speeches, and as well versed in economics and sidents has declined. The granting talking with him personally, I am thus did not fully understand of a semi-autonomous state to the convinced that he is deeply inter the advantages of belonging to the Karens, repeated overtures by U N u, ested in religion as the foundation Commonwealth. the realization that independence which undergirds his own life and, Eager to find out what his aspira had been won, a desire to return to he believes, should undergird the tions were for Burma, I questioned families and friendS-these and other life of this new nation. U Nu on the changes he hoped to see factors. have played their part. And in the next ten years. He replied, in recent months Communist tactics "By that time we should be complete have changed to peaceful infiltra The interview was over, and I was ly unified within our country. When tion rather than open rebellion. ready to thank him and leave. But we got our independence the rebels That he should see the training o.f he was not ready to let me go. I was were at the height of their power. personnel as the second most im a visitor from abroad with some ex Now they are at their lowest ebb. portant dream was less easily ex perience in education, and U Nu They will not be able to hold out plained. It showed more insight and displayed still another o{ his char for ten yearS-not even three. As for vision than I had expected because acteristicS-curiosity. Seldom does he economic changes, it will take a long other Bl!rmese had emphasized land pass up a chance to question his time to make basic changes. Burma reform, agricultural improvement, in needs more technical know-how, tech visitors. dustrialization, and social measures For the next ten minutes he bom nicians, and administrators. These when questioned on the same point. barded me with questions about are even more important than money. Yet, U Nu understood that none of moral and spiritual education in Money is relatively easy to obtain, these steps could become permanent American schools, pressing me in but in ten years we cannot produce advances until adequately trained sistently for texts which could be enough qualified technicians and personnel was available to maintain translated. I was interested and con administrators." them. cerned, but disturbed that he should Shifting ground again, I asked him feel such values could be developed for his suggestions on what kind of merely by reading materials. And I Turning to the problems involved education would prepare l?oys and was even more disturbed when he in training such men, he continued, girls in Burma, or the United States, said that he wanted materials like "Of course if we were to turn into a or any other part of the world for Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends dictatorship, we could do this faster. life in the international community and Influence People, which he Dictatorship can shorten the time it in the years ahead. translated years ago into Burmese. I takes to do these things. But that Carefully choosing his words, he ex:pressed grave doubts as to whether brings many evil consequences. For said with great emphasis, "At the that was the type of material needed example, Burma sends many scholars present time in most schools and col or if the basic approach of that kind to England and the United States to leges greater emphasis is laid on in of book could possibly fall into the study. Some of them stay in those tellectual than on moral development. category of mmals or ethics, but he places. If we were a dictatorship, we It is now time that more attention hedged a bit by saying that he want could bring pressure to bear on their be given to the development of char ed materials which were well present families to bring them home, but this acter. I admit that intellectual and ed and full of illustrative material we will never do. We desire to stick healthy persons are necessary for the like that volume. to democracy. We will not use such progress of the world, but the world After the interview I reverted to tactics." will be doomed if we have only peo my original question. Adding the ex I was not surprised that he stressed ple with intellect but without perience of the afternoon to all the the rebellion within Burma for he character." other data I had collected, I again asked myself: how does he compare has had to wrestle with this problem This was U N u the philosopher with Nehru, Ben Gurion, Nkrumah, for ten years, and there are still rebel and religious leader speaking from and other African, Middle Eastern, groups, guerrilla bands, and bandits the heart. There are those in Burma and Asian leaders of our day? Is he at large in Burma. So widespread was and elsewhere who say thit his in really such a remarkable combina the unrest in the early months of terest in religion is solely or primar tion of "humanity, adroitness, and Burma's independence that U Nu's ily political. He has himself admitted moral force"? government held only Rangoon and that part of his interest in religion is small parts of the country in 1949. as a unifying factor in a country 85 U Nu does not appear to have the And even in Rangoon there were breadth of knowledge or the keen barricades, strikes, and some street mind of Nehru. He does not have the fighting. linguistic skill, the prophetic vision, The various rebel groups could or the flashes of insight which mark easily have overthrown the govern Ben Gurion, although the two men ment in those early months had they have much in common in their desire

October, 1958 35 to ·foster the revival of two great world religions and to apply religious principles "in the market place." He does not have the electric appeal of Nkrumah, although he has much of II the same magic as Nkrumah in his ability to speak to the masses. Children W hat, then, does he have? I had expected him to be strong, virile, popular, communicative, astute, and all the other adjectives that we would of the Vanquished use to describe a top American lead er. But U Nu is Burmese, Asian, Buddhist, and his appeal must be by DON C. NOEL, JR. measured in that frame of reference, II by the cultural standards of Burma and Southeast Asia rather than those of the United States. He is honest, gentle, genial, generous, humble, GERMANY and Japan of the postwar the strength of the first half-dozen kindly-qualities held high in his era invite comparison. Both, young Germans I met, was shocking: culture and therefore expected in a scarcely more than a decade ago, were these people (or so it seemed to me) leader. He is a warm being, a cul at war with us, threatening democracy had no idea why their country had tured person, a good man. and our national safety. Both, in the succumbed to Nazism; they thought they had lost the war simply on a In a world in which force is so pre early postwar years, were restricted series of strategic errors; and they dominant and the colorful, bombas and in some measure reshaped by an spoke altogether too glibly of "the tic person catches the headlines of American occupation. Both were ini next war." Subsequent conversations the world's newspapers and com tially disarmed by an Allied world and contacts somewhat modified these mands the television screen, U Nu determined to eliminate their poten first impressions; but let them stand, seems a little out of place. Even in tial threat to the future. And both for the moment, in order to compare the turmoil of Burmese fractional are now being urged by the United them with the attitudes of Japanese politics and internal rebellions, he States to a more rapid and compre young people. does not seem at ease. hensive rearmament than their re spective peoples are willing to In 28 months in Japan I never But he keeps tugging away at the undertake. heard a young Japanese use the world's heartstrings in a quiet, hum Beyond the similarities of their his phrase "the next war." The Japanese ble, human way. Perhaps it is because tories in this' postwar period, I think -all of them-simply don't talk he represents the peace of mind we one might observe broad similarities about another war. They are aware seek in the Western world, perhaps in their national characteristics. For of the dangers which Russia or China because he is a new type of politician despite vast cultural differences, they or perhaps others might pose to them; who is at heart a philosopher and share an industriousness, an indefa and some, reluctantly, agree that an playwright rather than a lawyer or tigability, which has made them, on expansion of the self-defense force is publicity hound-and perhaps it is different scales, miracles of postwar necessary. But the probability that because he represents the Buddhist's economic recovery. these factors will lead Japan into an contemporary prototype in world af After living in Japan for more than other war, or what the outcome of fairs of "the good man." two years, I had an opportunity last such a war might be, simply is not The period since I met him has summer while visiting Germany-in discussed. brought a split within his Anti cluding two months in Berlin-to A young German in Frankfurt told Fascist Peoples Freedom League par compare the youth of these two van me that Germany had lost the last ty, and he has maintained his posi quished nations. In both instances, war because her supply of vehicles tion as prime minister only by my primary contacts were in volun had not been adequate; but, he said, overtures to the left wing. But he is tary work camps, youth hostels, and that situation had improved now, and still head of Burma, hoping to be similar young peoples' activities, al "we'll win the next one." A hitch able to devote more and more time though I had opportunities to. meet hiker in the Mosel Valley observed and energy to the problems of eco and talk with others as well. While that Germany's choice of allies had nomic and social reconstruction than I was in Japan a much longer time, been bad. "Next time," he said, he has been able to give in the last and speak Japanese rather better pointedly referring to Germany's close ten years, pushing ahead his compre than German, I feel that my stay in tie to the United States, "we'll be on hensive program for Burma's future. each country was long enough to the right side." No matter what ha:ppens to him justify some comparisons. Anyone who has visited Germany politically in the future, in his first My first impression of Germany, on can probably supplement the v~riety ten years as leader of the new Burma of reasons which Germans offer for U N u has already left a great legacy DON C. NOEL, JR. is an American free their defeat in the war: lack of sup to his nation, to Southeast Asia, and lance writer who has traveled extens plies, bad allies, bad generals, and tb the world. ively abroad. Hitler's madness. In sharp contrast,

36 The PROGRESSIVE