Office of the Historian

845.01/116½

Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle) to the Under Secretary of State (Welles)

[Washington,] August 5, 1941.

Mr. Welles: Attached is a draft cable which might be sent to London if you think well of it.

[Page 180]

At the time when the negotiations were presented for the appointment of an Indian diplomatic agent here, and of the corresponding appointment of a United States representative in India, Mr. Murray and I considered the situation and recommended to the Secretary that he take up with Lord Halifax the possibility of getting an agreement on Dominion status for India.

The Secretary did suggest this matter to Lord Halifax, but received a pretty plain indication that they were quite satisfied with the situation as it stood; and accordingly nothing further was done.

The applicable considerations appear to be:

(1)
From the point of view of the United States public opinion, the elevation of India to Dominion status would be very helpful.
(2)
From the point of view of the political situation in India, NE9 believes that the position of the Nationalist movements, their fear of German or Russian domination, and their desire to retain such advances as they have made, makes this a more opportune time to propose Dominion status than has yet existed.
(3)
From the economic point of view, it would appear that India has developed resources and industries which in conjunction with Australia, New Zealand, and, if possible, China, present the opportunity for building up a pretty formidable military machine. Having ample man power, political impetus would thus be given for the nucleus of a Far Eastern alliance capable of giving a good account of itself as against Japan, or possibly even Germany.

A. A. Berle, Jr.
[Annex]10

Draft of a Telegram to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)11

Washington, August 5, 1941.

The President has considered the proposal made in your 3365, August 1, 11 p.m. From your telegram it is assumed that the primary question is a recognition by the United States of the special position of Australia and New Zealand in the Far East, and that you have in mind the suggestion of a plan by which (a) India is raised to Dominion status; (b) India, Australia, New Zealand, and China enter into a defensive alliance; (c) that the United States indicates in an appropriate manner that it would be prepared to give assistance to such an alliance.

Your suggestion is further understood to mean that we proceed towards this plan in steps, first proposing the raising of India to [Page 181] Dominion status, and thereafter working out the relationship between the four powers in question.

The President and the Department believe that the time is favorable for proposing such a plan, and authorizes you to present it to the Prime Minister and to the Foreign Office.

  1. Division of Near Eastern Affairs.↩
  2. Filed separately under 740.0011 Pacific War/371.↩
  3. Telegram not sent.↩