811.42745/11–2144
The First Secretary of the British Embassy (Trevelyan)93 to the Special Assistant, Division of Cultural Cooperation (Peck)
Dear Mr. Peck: The Government of India note that one of the recommendations of the Hot Springs Conference on Food and Agriculture94 was that arrangements should be made for an exchange of agricultural workers between different countries. The recommendation has already been given a practical aspect in the Cultural Relations Programme of the United States, and India would like to take advantage of this and to request that this programme should be extended to India, particularly at the present time when a big programme for agricultural development in India is under consideration.
- 2.
- In particular, the Government of India hope that it will be possible for the services of a number of experienced agricultural workers from the United States to be made available to India for employment in posts in which they may be able to give advice and guidance to Indian workers. At the same time they would like to send trained workers to the United States to work in the appropriate agricultural institutes and departments and gain a thorough experience in United States methods of work and research. The Government of India suggest that the scheme on both sides might be arranged to last for two or three years. A statement is enclosed95 giving the list of posts for which the Government of India hope to obtain experts [Page 288] from the United States. The Agent General would be most grateful if the Department of State could inform him what prospects there are of instituting a programme of this nature and would be most grateful for your cooperation in the matter. I shall be glad to discuss with you at any time the terms on which the experts from the United States could be made available to the Government of India. I understand that it is recognised that exchange schemes of this nature are of benefit to both countries and that in the past the United States Government have to a certain extent subsidised such schemes. This is an aspect for further discussion. The scales of pay mentioned in the enclosure to this letter need not be taken as a firm basis for offer to those who may be selected to fill these posts; they do however indicate the class of posts which the Government of India have in mind.
- 3.
- For convenience I summarise the points upon which we should be
glad to have some indications of your views and which I shall be
glad to discuss with you at any time.
- i)
- Whether in your opinion a general scheme of the nature suggested by the Government of India would be acceptable to the State Department.
- ii)
- Whether suitable men could be obtained for a substantial number of the posts envisaged by the Government of India, and, if so, which posts could be most hopefully considered in the first instance.
- iii)
- What in your opinion should be in general the terms of appointment to be offered to the persons who would fill these posts.
- iv)
- Whether in your opinion the United States Government would be willing to subsidise in any way a scheme of this nature, in view of the advantages which would be likely in the long run to accrue to the United States in its commercial and other relations with India.
- v)
- Whether there will be any difficulty in the corresponding placing of Indian agriculturists in the United States Department of Agriculture. What terms should be offered to them by the Government of India and could satisfactory training courses be arranged.
Yours Sincerely,
- Indian Agency General.↩
- For correspondence regarding the United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture, Hot Springs, Virginia, May 18–June 3, 1943, see Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. i, pp. 820 ff.↩
- Not printed.↩