296. Telegram From the Embassy in India to the Department of State1
2136. Dept pass priority AmEmbassy Canberra for Vice President. For the President from the Vice President. I have had a useful and full schedule in India. We stopped first in the Punjab and spent half a day touring their agricultural university and experiment station, an accelerated agricultural production project, a health center and family planning clinic and a Peace Corps project. I was impressed by the way the Indians are adapting the knowhow learned from US in agricultural research, education and production.
In New Delhi I saw President Radhakrishnan and Vice President Husain last evening and today saw Ministers concerned with economic affairs and agriculture, Foreign and Defense Ministers, and the Prime Minister.
In all these meetings I stressed our concern that Tashkent Declaration be followed up effectively. The President, the Prime Minister, and the Ministers all said this is their firm intention.
I also went into detail about the Honolulu meetings and their significance for the future of both the military and social-economic efforts in Vietnam. I made clear we asked only for peace and freedom [Page 574] of choice for the people of Vietnam. We urged the Indians to recognize our common interest in the success of these efforts and to give us any views of theirs in private but not in public. We also urged that GOI use its influence with the Soviets directly and in ICC to encourage them to be helpful in bringing the North Vietnamese to the negotiating table. I asked them to consider medical or other humanitarian assistance to SVN.
The response was generally affirmative about working on the Russians, which they say they will continue to do even though they do not anticipate much give there in the immediate future. The President in particular expressed his willingness and desire to work on the Russians.
Response on public postures was qualified by their concern to retain influence in Moscow and to acquire influence in Hanoi, both of which they feel require that they not be seen to be leaning too far towards US. They appear to feel this approach will serve our mutual interest in the objective of containing and frustrating the Chinese.
I explored in detail their food needs and economic prospects and I am satisfied that their planning for the budget which is to be presented on February 18 gives top priority to agriculture measures agreed to with Secretary Freeman. This confirmed by Prime Minister. Also GOI will confine defense expenditures to the limits previously agreed to with Secretary McNamara.
Indian Ministers detailed efforts being made by GOI to mobilize assistance from other countries to meet their present food emergency. I am satisfied that the Indians are making a major effort in seeking other country assistance.
They also reviewed in detail the disastrous effect which foreign exchange shortage is having on the economy. They were grateful for our interim assistance and recognized that further talks would be necessary between you and Mrs. Gandhi before an understanding on a longer term program could be reached.
I told Mrs. Gandhi how much you were looking forward to seeing her to continue discussions on all these matters and it appears that she is thinking of coming shortly after the 15th of March.
Additional information on my conversation with Prime Minister will be sent from Canberra. All items in my instructions from Rusk covered in these talks. Feel progress made.
- Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 7 US/HUMPHREY. Secret; Priority; Nodis. No time of transmission appears on the telegram, which was received at 3:31 p.m. and passed to the White House at 4:35 p.m.↩