893.01/946

The Director of the Office of Strategic Services ( Donovan ) to the Adviser on Political Relations ( Hornbeck )

My Dear Dr. Hornbeck: We have received a cable from two of our representatives in Lhasa relaying a request by the National Assembly and the Tibetan Cabinet that we obtain priorities so that they may purchase three fully-equipped portable wireless stations to set up a trans-Tibet network. These stations will be 100 watts each and the equipment requested can be purchased for a total cost of $4500.

An historical precedent is broken by this request which, if complied with, will open the Tibet region 1200 miles east and west for Allied influence and further modernization of territory which will be strategically valuable in the future.

Our authorities in New Delhi and the Government of India both agree in principle.

We have the equipment which they have requested on hand in this office and would like to provide it to the Tibetan Government as a gift from the United States. I believe that this would have a very wholesome effect upon our relations. We have furnished communications equipment to the Chinese in excess of $50,000.

The two representatives of this office in Lhasa, through whom we received this request, have presented to the Delhi Lhama [Dalai Lama] a letter of greetings from the President of the United States, which was received with much ceremony.

If you approve of our proposal, we will proceed to ship the equipment to our representatives in Lhasa for presentation with the compliments of the United States to the Tibetan Cabinet.

Sincerely,

William J. Donovan