DEPARTMENT OF STATE Memorandum of Conversation
DATE: September 30, 1952
SUBJECT: Courtesy Call on Secretary of State
PARTICIPANTS: The Secretary His Excellency James Barrington, Ambassador of Burma Mr. M. A. Raschid, Minister of Labor and Housing, Government of Burma
COPIES TO: S/S FE PSA Amembassy Rangoon
Ambassador Barrington called on the Secretary to introduce Mr. Raschid on September 30 at 3 p.m. The Secretary welcomed Mr. Rashid and expressed hope for the success of his mission and his wish that the Department be of every assistance. Mr. Raschid said that he had met with a number of American officials who are now in Washington. He had met some at ILO conferences. He mentioned in particular Mr. Philip Kaiser, assistant Secretary of Labor. The Secretary said that Mr. Kaiser had spoken to him of Mr. Raschid.
The Secretary said that he was happy that the situation in Burma offered such an optimistic outlook for the future.
Mr. Raschid said that conditions in Burma were much better and that it was now possible to plan improvements in large sections of the country. He said that Rangoon was the only big city in Burma. Throughout the rest of the country were small villages. It is important that the Government help the people in the villages and unless this is done most of the people will not appreciate what the Government is doing. The Government plans to improve housing in the villages and to erect model centers for health, training in agriculture and like projects. Opportunities for constructive work and assurances of security are necessary to relieve unemployment and get rid of the vicious circle of unemployment creating insurgency and insurgency creating unemployment.
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Ambassador Barrington mentioned that a special effort was being made to reintegrate former insurgents in the society.
The Secretary asked about river transportation in Burma. Mr. Raschid said that the rivers were open and that transportation had now been restored although many ships had been lost during the war. Ambassador Barrington said that the rivers have been free for transport for about two years; that road transportation was continuing to open up and that the principal difficulty had been in railroad transportation. Mr. Raschid explained that there are a great many small bridges along the railway lines which are not difficult to damage and that the resistance movement during the war had taught many people methods which had been put to unfortunate use later.
Mr. Raschid mentioned the importance attached to the Rehabilitation Corps as a means of making useful citizens of former insurgents. He said there are now about 2,000 in the corps and that the Government hopes to increase the number of people in it and the activities of the corps. The people in the corps are taught metal working, woodworking and other useful trades and employed on useful construction projects.
When Mr. Raschid inquired if the Secretary had ever traveled in the region of Burma, the Secretary took the opportunity to mention the present visits to Southeast Asia of Assistant Secretary Allison and Mr. Bonsal, both of whom would visit Rangoon, and his belief that these visits would prove well worthwhile. Mr. Raschid referred to the recent trips of Ambassador Bowles and Justice Douglas in Southeast Asia. Their visits to Rangoon had coincided. Both seemed to have been favorably impressed with what they found in Burma.
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