I write this in the Dwarka Suite of the Rastrapati Bhavan, The President’s Palace of India, the former English Viceroy’s Palace.[1]
We have just had a private dinner tendered by Her Excellency Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Present were her foreign minister and Private Secretary, Imelda, Sec. [Carlos] Romulo and Sec. Cesar Virata.
She is much prettier than her picture and certainly charming and talented. She has the figure indicators at her finger tips.
After talking to her I am convinced that with the strong central authority she has established in India, India with its 600 million people will become a strong prosperous country. She has grave problems, but they will overcome them.
We talked of our government’s programs and policies, my visit to Moscow May 31st to June 4th. She follows me to the Russian capital on June 8th.
She was interested in the UNCTAD [United Nations Conference on Trade and Development], the Muslim problem of the south and the negotiations with the United States.
I told her of Sec. [Henry] Kissinger’s veiled thread that the U.S. could withstand any economic war and win it and my answer that there would be no winners, only losers.
She has been a most gracious host, coming to the airport to meet us at 9:00 PM when we arrived and personally bringing us to our room after dinner. I asked her to please retire and not to wait up for us, which she did.
Left Nairobi at 6:00 AM (Nairobi time) and dropped by Seychelles where I water skied at the Coral Grant Hotel after meeting the Governor Colin Allan, Vice Gov. Williams who escorted us and the future Prime Minister [France-Albert] René upon their independence on July 28, 1976. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester are going to represent the queen.
The water was clear blue, the sand coral white. But there were flies on the food so we did not eat any lunch.
Climate, vegetation and terrain is like the Philippines.
The population is predominantly black but there are many Creoles or mestizos and mestizas.
Malacanang Palace
At the Kremlin, Moscow
In the Tzars Rooms
The study
[1] This entry not on Malacañang letterhead.