Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CF 156: Telegram
No. 38
The Ambassador in India (Allen) to the Department of State
4226. Secretary had talk yesterday with Sir Girja Bajpai, Governor of Bombay,1 whom Nehru had brought to Delhi for that purpose. [Page 114] Bajpai gave lengthy explanation of Indian foreign policy, excused India’s failure to understand United States policy on grounds of immaturity and inexperience of Indian press and people. He declared that India would never go Communist. He said Indian authorities were aware that Red China had shown expansionist tendencies and that India was taking due precautions to defend its Eastern and Northern frontiers.
Last night Nehru gave state dinner for Secretary and Mr. Stassen at which 50 top officials Indian Government were present. After dinner Nehru arranged for various Cabinet Ministers to chat with each individually.
Today Secretary spent nearly two hours alone with Prime Minister. Conversation covered wide range subjects and will be continued at luncheon tomorrow. (Summary conversation in separate telegram.)2 Atmosphere was friendly and he considers talks were useful.
He and members his party lunched with senior officials of External Affairs Ministry and tonight he will attend reception I am giving largely for Indian Officials.
May 22 he and certain members party will fly in Indian Air Force plane to Agra,3 return in time for half hour press conference4 at 1230, lunch with Prime Minister, and enplane for Karachi about 1500. I shall accompany him on trip to Agra.
Messrs. Stassen and Matteson visited Punjab villages with TCA officers morning May 21, joined luncheon group, and spent afternoon conferring with Indian officials on various subjects including canal waters dispute. They will not make Agra trip but will continue conferences in New Delhi morning May 22.
Secretary received Afghanistan Ambassador Najib-Ullah May 19, who explained to him Afghanistan interest in Pushtoonistan.5
- No memorandum of this conversation has been found in Department of State files.↩
- Memoranda of conversations, infra and Documents 40 and 41. Telegram 4237 from New Delhi, May 22, not printed.↩
- Telegram 4248 from New Delhi, May 22, reported the Agra trip had been cancelled because of a dust storm.↩
- Telegrams 4241–4245 from New Delhi, May 22, reported the full text of the Secretary’s press conference.↩
- Telegram 638 from Kabul, May 11, informed the Department of State of a request by the Foreign Minister of Afghanistan for the Secretary of State to confer with the Afghan Ambassador to India when he visited New Delhi. The telegram reported that “Najibullah allegedly one of most ardent advocates ‘free Pushtoonistan’ and in absence specific list of ‘problems’ for discussion I assume he will broach Pushtoonistan issue vigorously to Secretary State.” Telegram 919 from the Department to the Secretary in Amman, May 13, advised the Secretary to give some recognition to the Afghan request, in light of “implied Afghan fear that Secretary will get distorted view Afghan-Pak relations because of failure visit Kabul while spending two days Karachi.” The Ambassador in India concurred in the request for the Secretary to see Najibullah, in telegram 4121 from New Delhi, May 14. Telegrams 698 and 699 from Damascus, May 15, advised the Department that Dulles would meet with Najibullah in New Delhi. No memorandum of the conversation has been found in Department of State files. Documentation is in the Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CF 156. For documentation on the question of Pushtunistan, see vol. xi, Part 2, pp. 1365 ff.↩