European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 11, 1959, Darmstadt, Hesse                                ? soot. India s no. 3 Man succeed Nehru finance minister Desai on fund raising trip around the Globe insists he s not seeking the Job but new Delhi observers say otherwise by Henry 5. Bradsher a staff writer Ikmet i 1k1% new Delhi learn Over backward to avoid appearing eager to succeed a warm Tal Nehru As prime minister of yet Many observers Bare consider it minister Desai the most Likely sae if net Aart 12-year-old tenure should a Wjt Bifi tha next few years. Foreign ent win have this in mind Dur Tor robbed the world visit to Switzer land France England the a " Nehru already has outlasted one potential successor. Home minister Govrd Ballabh Pant was widely believed to be the most Likely candidate even though he is ten Yean older than Newrn but a hear attack Latt april probably eliminated Pant a a possibility. If Nehru St is Lon enough he could outlast Desai also and tha Mantle would fall on a younger Man. Att a to Jehru and Pant 63-year-Olddeaai is considered the most powerful person in the Indian government today. Desai is a tall spare Man. With hair?.dose As a tibetan lamas to bespectacled face and thick fingers to uses to punctuate a conversation. He Nas acquired and even encouraged a rep to station As an ascetic Follower of Mohandas a Gandhi studying yoga and living on Jam meat a Day of fruit nuts and milk. " Benea i this self denying exterior is a Toomb a politician As the Indian system to Ward Bosses has produced. For years Desai had the turbulent City of Bombay in his pocket and he still is a Power theret Bee years after Nehru brought him thew Delhi As minister for Commerce and Industry. Desai became finance minister in March 39sb., first Job was to dispel the Cloud Wear which his predecessor left but Tetrie Job is finding Money to keep the Fpo Cid s largest democracy running Plu Samagh More for economic development. The government is now drawing up Itsos five year plan for economic develop meat beginning in 196l  is Witt actively set at 100 billion rupees 21 a Quarter of it to come from Tor. Cant say yet that it will be this amount unless 1 can fix the resources Masai says.1 " tie last time which was also the rat intae that Desai made a trip abroad year ago. I in purpose a raising Money a keep the second five year plan going. Desai emphasizes that his forthcoming Fyffe is different although "incidentally,.arisen one goes somewhere one naturally. Tafts about Aid but no  be Safe is scheduled to Leava new Delhi ,. Today for Geneva. He will be a guest of the Swiss government for a few Days and then Fly to Paris next wednesday for three Days. In neither country does he Hope any specific business the finance minister originally planned to visit West Germany to mid september she says he cancelled this because the in stau Aton of a new German president another events at that time would have made it impossible to see the people he wanted to meet from Paris desal will Fly to Londo sept. 191 there have been reports that India Hopes for More economic Aid in  from Britain. The purpose of the London visit is to attend a meeting of the Commonwealth consultative committee of finance ministers sept. 22-21 Desai win arrive in Washington sept. 27 for a meeting of the world Bank  monetary fund. He has invitations to visit a number of american cities from new York to san Francisco so a Fol tour thaos. Until oct.  he will Fly to Japan for a four. Day Good will visit he returns to India about oct. 22, s Desai has yet to visit the Only country out so far has promised Money for the third five year plan the soviet Union with its pledge of credits Worth $378 Mil lion and maybe More Desai is staunchly though not out spokely anti communist he feels that the chinese crushing of the tibetan uprising and other factors have increased anti communist feeling in India but. He does not expect this feeling to affect Aid fro Russia. Even if it did Desai says there would Beno change we can t barter away out position on communists at Home or abroad in order to obtain soviet Aid he says. Morarji Desai will he inherit India s no. \ Job a to. Prime minister Nehru nearing 70, has t named a successor. A up the stars and stripes