The setting was exquisite, the guest list impressive, and, as President Sukarno paid tribute to himself on the tenth anniversary of the birth of the Afro-Asian bloc at nearby Bandung, his taste was as impeccable as ever. Screening off unsightly slum areas, Sukarno laced Djakarta's avenues with flags and festive arches, assigned each of the 35 Afro-Asian emissaries—from Chou En-lai to Imperial Princess Ashraf of Iran—his own personal motorcade, complete with screaming sirens. Best of all was the state banquet, held in the candlelit Bali Room of the Hotel Indonesia. There,...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
