The Competitors

Following in the Asian steps of those two jolly Communist gospelers, Khrushchev and Bulganin, a Russian evangelist of a different sort flew into New Delhi last week. Deputy Premier Anastas Mikoyan, an adroit Armenian trader, was greeted by Nehru in the midst of the Hindu spring festival of Holi, grinned in the standard circuit-riding Russian impersonation of a fine fellow as India's Premier smeared his forehead and Soviet Ambassador Mikhail Menshikov's face with vermilion in traditional observance of India's lighthearted Holiday. Then, with his 50 experts, Russia's No. 1 missionary of trade got right down to business.

His four-day visit threw Russia's much-advertised Indian trade drive into high gear. In the next three years Russia will not only build a 1,000,000-ton steel mill at Bhilai, Central India, but also supply India with a million tons of steel, almost a third of the country's imports under its second five-year plan. Together with shipments of cement, coal-mining and other machinery, this will build a $300 million to $500 million Russian credit in New Delhi by 1959.

Said fast-talking Mikoyan: "We will help you all we can to build up your own great oil industry," and a squad of "Soviet oil experts" stepped forth with figures to show Indian planners what their boss meant. On their side, the Indians agreed to set up a state trading corporation next month for the sole purpose of doing business with Communist countries. To organize Soviet purchases of Indian commodities, Russia's former Deputy Foreign Trade Minister Vasily Sergeev is now installed, with the title of Economic Counselor and a large staff, in the Soviet Union's New Delhi embassy.

Toasting Nehru as "the outstanding statesman of our epoch," Mikoyan said: "Certain aggressive circles have as their slogan, 'Let us arm,' but we say, 'Let us trade.' The steel mill we are building for you is an example of peaceful competition with the Western countries. Let our Indian friends be the judges."

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