793B.00/10–651: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Consulate General at Calcutta
164. Reurtel 187 Oct 4 and New Delhi’s 1266 rptd Calcutta 118 Oct 6.1 Ur item 1. Pledge fin assistance from Amers to DL and entourage was premised specifically on DL selection entourage on basis polit usefulness (ref Deptel 23 Jul 12).2 Concept was that support DL entourage is primary responsibility adherents Buddhist faith, [Page 1832] hence Amer pledge limited “to extent required”. However, if inclusion few wives, children, servants is believed major factor pledge may be expanded include not more than 150. In ur conversations with trusted Tibetans essential point is selection all members limited entourage on basis polit usefulness.
Ur item 2. In previous messages DL and in talks here with Taktser US assurances clearly premised on certain conditions including flight DL from Tibet and his public repudiation agreement with Chi Commies. Dept concurs ur feeling Tibetan resistance likely be ineffective if DL remains Tibet.
- Telegram 187 from Calcutta, not printed, requested instructions on two points raised by the Tibetan official to whom the letter signed by Ambassador Henderson had been shown: (1) whether the United States would provide financial assistance for a retinue of 150 to 300 for the Dalai Lama, in order that officials might bring their families with them, and (2) what the U.S. attitude would be if the Dalai Lama were to stay in Tibet but send out a group of trusted officials to organize resistance (793B.00/10–451). The Embassy in New Delhi commented in telegram 1266, not printed, that a small retinue of possibly 100 would be preferable, but that it might be increased if the destination was India or Ceylon, where expenses would be lower than elsewhere; the Embassy believed that, because of the Dalai Lama’s symbolic significance, an outside resistance group would have little chance of success if he remained in Tibet (793B.00/10–651).↩
- Same as telegram 91 to New Delhi, p. 1748.↩