Presidential Papers, Doc#647 To Andrew Jackson Goodpaster, Jr., 9 April 1958. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower
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Doc #648

Document #647; April 9, 1958
To Andrew Jackson Goodpaster, Jr.
Series: EM, AWF, Name Series
The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XIX - The Presidency: Keeping the Peace
Part IV: Recession and Reform; February 1958 to May 1958
Chapter 9: "The problems inherent in this job"

 

Andy:1 The most important part of this informal report is that dealing with Kerala. It could be sent to Allen Dulles. State may have a plan of action for its embassy personnel that need not condemn Kerala’s material and social progress; but should seek the progress of other states in India.2

1 Eisenhower had handwritten this note to Staff Secretary Goodpaster.

2 We have been unable to locate the report that Eisenhower mentions. In the April 1957 Indian elections, the Communist party had secured control of the state of Kerala, India's most populous and least developed area. The Communist government had continued to allow U.S. activities, including those sponsored by the International Cooperation Administration and United States Information Service. Closely monitoring the political situation in the area, the Administration had sought to increase economic and technical assistance to neighboring Indian states while at the same time discouraging American investment in Kerala (State, Foreign Relations, 1955 - 1957, vol. VIII, South Asia, pp. 363 - 66, 379, 394 - 95; see also NSC meeting minutes, May 17, 1957, AWF/NSC).

Communists would continue to control the state government of Kerala until July 1959, when widespread agitation would lead the central government to overturn the regime and institute direct presidential control. In February 1960 the Communists would fail in their attempt to regain power when they were defeated in the Kerala elections (State, Foreign Relations, 1958 - 1960, vol. XV, South and Southeast Asia, pp. 494 - 96, 502, 509, 532 - 33). As of this writing, information regarding Allen Dulles and possible CIA involvement in Kerala remains unavailable.

Bibliographic reference to this document:
Eisenhower, Dwight D. To Andrew Jackson Goodpaster, Jr., 9 April 1958. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 647. World Wide Web facsimile by The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission of the print edition; Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presidential-papers/second-term/documents/647.cfm

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