793B.00/9–151: Telegram
The Ambassador in India (Henderson) to the Secretary of State
802. According to present reports Dalai Lama has reached Lhasa. It also seems likely Tib officials will shortly engage in further talks with Commie-Chi officials on subj Sino-Tib agreement. While many Tib officials, incl particularly Dalai Lama, may be opposed extension Commie-Chi control in Tib, Emb inclined believe they will continue temporize in their dealings with Commie-Chi in hope developments in Korea will make it difficult for Commie-Chi implement such provisions Sino-Tib agreement as stationing Commie-Chi troops in Tib.
Under such circumstances Emb recommends USG shld take such positive action as it can re Tib which wld convince Tib of continuing US support. Such positive action might incl continued purchase by US firms of Tib wool (Embdesp 2891 May 24; Emb desp 462 Aug 27 footnote Nr 12)1 as well as authority transfer funds (Deptel 469, Aug 29)2 so long as such transactions were not detrimental to US and were not beneficial to Commie-Chi. Strict watch over such transactions wld most certainly be necessary.
If such transactions are stopped, Tibs who do not understand Western ways and have few dealings with Western peoples will be certain interpret such actions as evidence US no longer interested Tib and perhaps even hostile to it.
Emb wld accordingly suggest consideration by Dept of arrangements under which Tib wool might continue go forward to US and Tib financial transfers cld be made.
Sent Dept 802, rptd info Calcutta 99.
- Footnote 12 to the reference despatch, not printed, pointed out that Tibetan officials attached great importance to the export of Tibetan wool and suggested that the Department might wish to consider, if U.S. laws permitted, the preclusive purchase of Tibetan wool (793B.00/8–2751).↩
- Telegram 469 to New Delhi, not printed, concerned a freeze which the Treasury Department had placed on Pangdatshang’s account in the United States (793B.00/8–2251).↩