793B.00/6–2851
The Chargé in India (Steere) to the Department of State
No. 3113
Subject: Transmission of Dalai Lama’s Letter With Regard to Tibet’s Appeals to the United Nations
I have the honor to enclose a copy of a letter, dated May 21, 1951, from the Dalai Lama of Tibet1 with regard to Tibet’s appeals to the United Nations in November and December 1950.
It is recalled that the Department in its telegrams No. 1015 of January 3, 1951 and No. 1047 of January 6, 1951,2 authorized the Embassy to inform the representatives of Tibet regarding the attitude of the United States with respect to Tibet’s appeals to the United Nations and with respect to the issuance of visas to these representatives for entry into the United States.
Following the receipt of these telegrams, the Embassy communicated with the Tibetan representatives at Kalimpong by mail. As no replies were received and as the matters under discussion were of some importance, copies were forwarded to the Dalai Lama on April 4, 1951.
It is noted that the Dalai Lama’s response of May 21, 1951 was written before the conclusion of the Sino-Tibetan agreement at Peiping on May 23, 1951. In view of subsequent developments it is of interest that the Dalai Lama on May 21 apparently anticipates that it might be necessary for Tibet again to approach the United States for help.
First Secretary of Embassy
- The letter to Ambassador Henderson, not printed, acknowledged Henderson’s letter dated April 4, 1951 (see Henderson’s letter to Mathews, March 29, and telegram 2673, April 4, pp. 1610 and 1619), together with copies of letters previously sent to Tibetan representatives, stated that peace negotiations between China and Tibet were proceeding in Peking, and added that if Tibet should have to approach the U.S. Government again, he hoped the United States would do its best to help.↩
- For text of telegram 1047, see Foreign Relations, 1950, vol. vi, p. 618; telegram 1015 is summarized in footnote 1 to that telegram.↩