845.00/15422/5
President Roosevelt to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek25
I have been giving, as you will of course realize, the utmost consideration and thought to your message regarding the Indian situation,26 which reached me through Dr. T. V. Soong on July 29.
I fully share the opinion you express that for the sake of our common victory the Indian situation should be stabilized and the participation of the Indian people should be secured in the joint war effort. I likewise agree that only the Axis powers would reap benefit if India should start a movement against Britain or against the United Nations and that such an eventuality would seriously affect the whole course of the war.
I know, however, that you will understand the difficulty which is presented to me in your suggestion that this Government should advise both the British Government and the people of India “to seek a reasonable and satisfactory solution”. The British Government believes that proposals which it has proffered to the peoples of India should permit of an adjustment fair to both sides, which should result in more active participation by India in the war effort in support of the United Nations, postponing until victory comes any final steps to be taken to meet the desires for independence of the Indian people.
[Page 706]Furthermore, the British Government feels that suggestions coming at this moment from other members of the United Nations would undermine the authority of the only existing government in India and would tend to create that very crisis in India which it is your hope and my hope may yet be averted.
Under these circumstances, I feel that it would be wiser for you and for myself to refrain from taking action of the kind which you had in mind for the time being. This does not preclude further consideration at a moment’s notice of some of the steps which you have suggested, should the course of events in India in the next week or two reach a more serious stage. You may be certain that I will have all of your suggestions fully in mind and that I deeply appreciate the constructive and frank communication which you have made to me. Please continue to communicate with me at any moment with regard to any of the matters affecting the common cause to which our two countries are dedicated.