INDIA SEA LAWYER EVER SINCE RED CHINA'S SURPRISE ATTACK A YEAR AGO, 
INDIA'S TRADITIONAL POLICY OF NEUTRALITY HAS BEEN MORE HONORED IN WORDS 
THAN IN DEEDS . WHILE MOUNTING THE OLD HOMILIES ABOUT NONALIGNMENT, 
INDIA HAS PETITIONED THE WEST FOR $1.5 BILLION IN MILITARY AID 
AND HAS AGREED TO A WESTERN AIR-DEFENSE UMBRELLA . LAST WEEK 
THE U.S . SEVENTH FLEET PREPARED TO TAKE UP POSITIONS IN 
THE INDIAN OCEAN . THE QUESTION WAS BROACHED TO INDIAN PRIME 
MINISTER JAWAHARLAL NEHRU BY CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF 
MAXWELL D . TAYLOR ON A VISIT TO INDIA LAST WEEK 
. UNDER THE PROPOSAL, A TASK FORCE OF ONE AIRCRAFT CARRIER 
WITH NUCLEAR BOMB-CARRYING JETS AND FOUR ESCORT SHIPS WOULD PATROL IN 
THE INDIAN OCEAN FOR TWO TO FOUR MONTHS AT A TIME 
. SUPPLIED BY SUPPORT VESSELS, THE TASK FORCE WOULD NEVER HAVE 
TO TIE UP AT ANY INDIAN PORT FOR PROVISIONS . PREDICTABLY, 
THE SEVENTH FLEET PROPOSAL STIRRED UP PROTESTS . THE INDIAN PRESS 
MAINTAINED THAT THE PLAN WAS ANOTHER THREAT TO INDIAN NEUTRALITY, PAKISTAN 
CLAIMED THAT IT WAS A HOSTILE GESTURE ON THE PART OF 
BOTH COUNTRIES, AND RED CHINA SAID THAT IT WAS ANOTHER EXAMPLE 
OF THE SUBVERSION OF INDIA BY WESTERN IMPERIALISTS . AS FOR 
NEHRU, HE PERFORMED LIKE A SEA LAWYER IN LUKEWARMLY ENDORSING THE 
PLAN . "HOW CAN WE OBJECT TO ANYONE GOING WHERE HE 
LIKES ON THE HIGH SEAS," HE ASKED . 