Office of the Historian

795.00/1–151: Telegram

The Ambassador in India (Henderson) to the Secretary of State

secret
priority
New Delhi, January 1, 1951—noon.

1590. 1. On December 31 eve his and Nehru’s2 departure Commonwealth Conference London,3 Bajpai4 told me Nehru intends discussing ways means at conference effect cessation hostilities Korea. Krishna Menon, Indian High Commissioner London, had suggested Nehru fly Peiping for direct talks Chinese Communists before going London. Nehru turned this down but is prepared go from London to Washington, Peiping or any other place if convinced trip might promote peace.

2. Bajpai again expressed opinion chances for cessation hostilities greater if efforts directed thru diplomatic channels rather than UN. Panikkar5 recent reports hostility Chinese Communists towards US has developed into emotional fury. Chief irritant seems to be US support China.6 Chinese Communists insist and Panikkar apparently thinks they really believe US has replaced Japan as aggressor against China. Like Japan aims use Formosa as base against China and proceed overland against China through Korea and Manchuria.

3. GOI considered Communist China’s suggestion conveyed week ago through Panikkar that talks for settlement Far East problems might proceed without cease-fire even though hostilities were continuing as unrealistic. Nevertheless, sent suggestion Rau7 discouraging [Page 2] suggestion made by several delegations that second resolution providing for discussions be pressed without waiting cease-fire.8

4. Maintained Panikkar reports in great confidence increasing isolation self and staff. Feeling lonely and isolated and hopes he will be relieved after conclusion year his assignment.

Department pass London; sent Department 1590, repeated London 78.

Henderson
  1. Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India.↩
  2. Reference is to the Conference of Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth of Nations held in London from January 4 to January 12, 1951.↩
  3. Sir Girja S. Bajpai, Secretary-General of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. Mr. Nehru was India’s Foreign Minister as well as its Prime Minister.↩
  4. K. M. Panikkar, Indian Ambassador in the People’s Republic of China.↩
  5. For documentation on United States relations with the Republic of China on Taiwan, see pp. 1474 ff.↩
  6. Sir Benegal N. Rau, Indian Representative at the United Nations.↩
  7. Reference is to a draft resolution (U.N. document A/C.1/642) introduced in the First Committee of the U.N. General Assembly on December 12, 1950 by Sir Benegal Rau and sponsored by Afghanistan, Burma, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen. It did not mention a cease-fire in Korea but called for a conference of involved nations, presumably the United States, Communist China, the Soviet Union, France, the United Kingdom, Egypt, and India, to make recommendations looking toward a peaceful settlement of the issues in the Far East in accordance with U.N. purposes and principles. This resolution was not voted upon during 1950. For related documentation, see Foreign Relations, 1950, vol. vii, pp. 1524–1634, passim.↩