Office of the Historian

741.13/6–1253: Telegram

No. 413
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Holmes) to the Department of State1

secret
London, June 12, 1953—6 p.m.

6553. To supplement Embtels 6403, 6428, 6452 and despatch 5871 containing communiqué Commonwealth Prime Ministers conference Embassy has been told following by ranking official Foreign Office:2

1.

Major purpose meeting was bring old and new dominions together which has double advantage of educating Asians in facts of international life and securing support of old dominions who will not “let mother country down” in presence new members.

Conference considered successful in achieving this end.

2.
On question of four-power discussion with Soviets all Prime Ministers agreed that there should be an attempt at such a meeting but none was optimistic that there has been any real change in Russian policy. Most to be hoped for is change of mood.
3.
On Europe Churchill outlined efforts of Western defense and emphasized that UK sees no reason to change its policies, including its policy on Germany. There was no dissent on this point. Reference to NATO in communiqué was designed to meet Nehru’s unwillingness to be associated directly with Western defense. UK is pleased to have secured Nehru’s concurrence in communiqué phrase “they recognize that Democracies must maintain their strength and exercise unceasing vigilance to preserve their rights and liberties.”
4.
On Far East situation as outlined by Selwyn Lloyd was well received and much time was taken up with discussion progress in Korea. Emphasis was put on close cooperation with US in dealing with problem of China (including Nehru). There were only vague references to political conferences following truce.
5.
UK is pleased with discussion on Middle East. Dominions in Far East tended to emphasize canal rather than base. Nehru stated UK position was consistent with Egyptian sovereignty, that matter must be settled or wave of nationalism would spread from Egypt over Africa and that he would attempt to reason with Naguib on way home.
6.

Information on economic talks will be sent separately.3 In addition there were private defense talks with old dominions, bringing them up to date on situation.

[Page 991]

New Zealand official present at meetings gives slightly different impression of meetings, laying emphasis on Nehru’s recalcitrance. This official seemed particularly depressed by fact that possibilities of conflict between US and Commonwealth attitude on Chinese Communist representation had not been fully explored. He also thought that British had been over lenient in permitting Nehru to get away with some outrageous statements but that Churchill had handled him as well as anyone could. This only source referring to Nehru’s making “outrageous statements” and possibly New Zealand’s nose was out of joint at attention he received.

Holmes
  1. Repeated to Ottawa, New Delhi, Pretoria, Karachi, Colombo, Canberra, Wellington, and Paris.↩
  2. None printed; regarding telegram 6403, see footnote 5, supra; telegrams 6428 and 6452 reported on the discussions of the Far East and Southeast Asia and Egypt. (741.13/6–553, 6–853, and 741.022/6–1053) For the text of the communiqué, see Documents (R.I.I.A.) for 1953, p. 71.↩
  3. Not further identified.↩