U.S. At Tricky And Delicate Game

Chronicle (Levin), 30 May 1949, Page 5

U.S. At Tricky And Delicate Game

Received Monday, 9.25 a.m. NEW YORK, May 29. The United States, pending the development of a definite plan to check Communism in Asia, has deeided that fhe best expedient is to encourage nationalist movements in South-east Asian countries immediately vulnerable to Communist expansion, says the New York Herald-Tribuhe's Washington correspondent. The correspondent says that the State Department is aware that this is a delicate and tricky business, particularly in colonial areas, where the logical consequence of nationalism would seem to be outright independence at the expense of the Atlantic Pact allies. Moreover, Russia also is playing a nationalist game and the Communists apparently have captured the nationalist movement in French Indo-China. The correspondent says that the settlement of the troubles in Indo-China and Indonesia has top priority in any attempt to contain Communism in Asia. The State Department for months has been urging the Netherlands and France to settle their differences ,with the nationalist efements before the latter were completely won over by the Communists. ^