JOHNSON DELAYS FOOD from Pat Jordan As readers will know millions in India face starvation and the Indian Government has been promised large-scale help by the United States to meet this drastic situation. Although the Indian Government has modified its foreign policy more than somewhat in recent years, apparently it has not gone far enough. The following report which appeared in the Financial Times of November 22nd, makes this very clear: "A serious delay in U.S. commitments of food aid to India is likely to ferce the Indian Government to make an emergency purchase of 990m. of wheat fofrom Australia next month. The delay has : . napparently been caused by a deliberate act of polic on the part of President Johnson who has refused to approve the recommendation of the Aid and Agriculture Departments that a 2m. tons wheat agreement should be reached with the Indian Government at once. "Dean Rusk, Secretary of State, at a press conference at the end of last week said that the U.S. is giving "urgent consideration" to India's food need, but he refused to give a date when a "particular decision" will be reached, The request for 2m. tons of wheat, in addition to the 8.5 m. tons of fond already shipped by U.S. to India this year, was received in Washington five months ago. The failure to reach a final decision on this request means that there will be no immediate follow-on to the shipments scheduled to leave the U.S. in mid-December. Because of the normal delay in organising shipping a gap in the flow of food is now inevitable, even if the U.S. Government reached its decision today. "To avoid a disastrous debacle just before the Indian elections, the Delhi Government has decided to turn ' to sources of supply a shorter sea veyage from home. “he nearest available supplier is Australia, but because the Indians are anxious to avoid spending scarce hard currency at this time, negotiations on terms are expected to be difficult. The President's refusal to act has caused a good deal of dismay in several agencies of U.S. Government, notably the State Department, and it is not at all clear what motives lie behind it. Two factors are generally blamed here." (Washington)
"i, The U.S. is undoubtedly dissastified with the fashion in which the Indian Gevernment has organised its food distribution programme. In particular, Central Government's failure to force the richer Indian states to give up a share of their food to the famine-stricken ones is considered intolerable, "@, The stock of Mrs, Indira Gandhi, the Indian Prime Minister has been declining in Washington steadily since the highpoint of her visit here in March. This decline is due partially to her failure to cope with internal difficulties, but certainly her joint declarations with President Nasser and Tite, calling for cessation of bombing in North Vietnam, did nothing to recommend her to Johnsen,"