SEATO was not without critics, however, including Walter Lippmann, America's most influential foreign affairs columnist. When he encountered Dulles at a Washington dinner party shortly after the Manila conference, Lippmann quizzed the secretary about the benefits of the new alliance.
“Look Walter”, Dulles replied, “I've got to get some real fighting men into the south of Asia. The only who can really fight are the Pakistanis. That's why we need them in the Alliance. We could never get along without the Gurkas [sic]”
“But Foster”, Lippmann countered, “the Gurkas aren't Pakistanis, they're Indians”. [In fact, the Gurkas are from Nepal and serve both in the British and Indian armies.]
“Well”, responded Dulles, unpertubed by such details, “they may not be Pakistanis but they're Moslems”.
“No, I'm afraid they're not Moslems, either; they're Hindus,” Lippmann stated.
“No matter,” the secretary of state retorted and proceeded to lecture Lippmann for half an hour on the virtues of SEATO in stemming communism in Asia.
ps: John Foster Dulles era il Segretario di Stato del presidente americano Dwight Eisenhower (Rep).
[Ronals Steel, Walter Lippmann and the American Century]
[citation Dennix Kux, The United States and Pakistan 1947-2000 Disenchanted Allies].
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