371 



States the concept of regional development has long been well under- 

 stood and generally accepted. Subsequent events in Southeast Asia 

 have demonstrated that there is a real and growing interest there in 

 the application of technology on a geographic rather than politically- 

 defined basis (the essence of ''regionalism"). It is at least possible that 

 the concept of regionalism might at some future time, and under more 

 favorable auspices, serve a useful purpose in support of U.S. diplo- 

 matic objectives. Accordingly, the rest of this study will undertake to 

 define and examine the concept, its application to the Lower Basin of 

 the Mekong, and the problems and issues surrounding this develop- 

 ment. Attention will be given to such questions as — 



What durable consequences came from the President's Mekong 

 initiative? 



Might the proposal have served a broader and more decisive 

 diplomatic purpose under more favorable circumstances and 

 timing ? 



What potential diplomatic opportunities are offered by region- 

 alism — the concept of applying technology to geographic as dis- 

 tinguished from politically-defined areas ? 



Under what circumstances might regional development involv- 

 ing multinational regions afford an alternative to conflict, and 

 can the factor of timeliness in adopting this alternative be deter- 

 mined and exploited? 

 Following the President's peace initiative, foreign aid from the 

 United States to Vietnam became inextricably merged with efforts to 

 mobilize Vietnamese manpower in support of the war or to strengthen 

 the government of South Vietnam. Nevertheless, throughout the seven 

 years from the time of the speech to the present, the international 

 effort to apply technology to the systematic development of the Lower 

 Mekong Basin has grown considerably. Undeniably, as Mr. Black 

 suggests, the speech and subsequent efforts to implement its proposal 

 stimulated progress in the regional project. Despite many strains, co- 

 operation among the four countries of the Basin (Thailand, Cambodia, 

 Laos, and South Vietnam) held steadfast. Outside support for the 

 project has come from many countries, many agencies within the 

 United Nations family, and many nongovernmental institutions. As a 

 multinational development effort it has demonstrated 14 years of con- 

 tinuity, stability, and growth. It has provided evidence to justify the 

 forecast made in 1963 : 



. . . The best opportunities for encouraging regionalism in Southeast Asia 

 still exist in the economic and cultural fields. In many respects the development 

 of the Lower Mekong Basin ... is a beacon for the future. The success of the 

 scheme could be one of the most important steps in the development of regional- 

 ism in Southeast Asia. 11 



The chapter to follow presents a general discussion of the nature and 

 types of regionalism, both national and international. Then the evolu- 

 tion of the Mekong Project is chronicled, before and after the Presi- 

 dent's speech. Finally, the account concludes with a consideration of 

 possible roles and limitations of types of international developmental 

 regionalism as an instrument of U.S. diplomacy. 



^C. Hart Schaaf and Russell H. Fifield, The Lower Mekong: Challenge to Cooperation 

 in Southeast Asia (Princeton, New Jersey: D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc., l\)bS), p. t><. 



