330/7–750: Telegram
The Ambassador in India (Henderson) to the Secretary of State
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[Received July 7—7:14 a. m.]
35. 1. I discussed with Bajpai Secretary General MEA at 11 a. m. July 7 draft of SC resolution re commander of UN forces in Korea contained in Depcirtel July 6, 1 a. m.1
2. He thanked me for copy which I handed him and said he had received last night similar draft from B. N. Rau. Since GOI was contributing no armed forces to Korea campaign it was of opinion that it would be preferable for it not to vote on this resolution. Rau had therefore been instructed that he should not “participate” in voting, stating that he was taking this position because Indian armed forces were not involved. Bajpai hoped US would understand failure India cast vote on this question did not mean that it had any reservation about resolution or that it was “back-sliding” in giving full support to UN in its struggle against aggression. GOI believed that it was logical that an American should be commander of UN forces and that that American should be General MacArthur. Although he had not mentioned matter in instructions to Rau, he personally thought that it would have been preferable from India’s point of view if resolution had provided that commander should report direct to SC rather than through US to SC. This point was, however, not of great importance and perhaps technical reasons had prompted decision to make report through US.
3. Continuing in personal vein, Bajpai said that although logic of situation called for US commander of UN forces and for that commander to be chief US armed forces officer in Far East, nevertheless there were certain complications so far as India was concerned. For instance, if Chinese Commies should move against Formosa order for UN armed forces to resist such attack would undoubtedly emanate from person who was in command of UN armed forces. Again he did not wish to labor this point. There was probably no way of separating [Page 325] functions American UN commander from those of US commander in Far East without weakening effectiveness of UN forces engaged in battle in Korea.
4. Nehru, he said, would probably at press conference today make it clear that although GOI was giving full support to SC resolution of June 26 [25] and 27 it had not associated itself with President Truman’s statements re Formosa and Southeast Asia. It was Nehru’s intention, however, in making this statement not to display either approval or disapproval for those US decisions announced by President.