Buying Time

After two days of bitter debate in New Delhi's Lok Sabha, the Indian Parliament last week approved Prime Minister Nehru's decision to accept a neutralist proposal for the settlement of India's Himalayan border dispute with Red China--provided that the Chinese also agree to the neutrals' plan in toto. Under the arrangement devised by the six nonaligned nations--Ghana, Egypt, Indonesia, Burma, Cambodia and Ceylon--at the Colombo Conference last December, the Chinese will be forced to withdraw 12 1/2 miles from the present cease-fire line in the northwestern Himalayas. But the resultant demilitarized zone will still recognize China's pre-invasion claim to 14,000 sq. mi. of Indian territory in Ladakh.

By his willingness to negotiate on these terms, Nehru hopes to stall the Chinese at the conference table until he can get more military aid from the West. Recently, Nehru repeated his urgent request to President Kennedy that a joint Western air mission "get here as soon as possible" to study plans for the air defense of India.

Due in New Delhi this week is a team of U.S., British, Canadian and Australian air force officers. Foreseen is the lengthening of Indian runways and the establishment of a radar network so that Western interceptor squadrons, complete with pilots and ground personnel, can move into India to provide a protective air umbrella over its cities. The idea would not quite constitute a military alliance, but it would surely be India's most decisive step away from neutralism.

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