893.24/1594
The Department of State to the British Embassy
Aide-Mémoire
The Department of State appreciates the courtesy of the British Embassy in acquainting this Government, in the Embassy’s aide-mémoire of April 19, 1943, with the attitude of the Government of India in regard to the Tibetan question and with developments in the project of a pack animal supply route to China via Tibet.
The Government of the United States has made note of the steps taken and the attitude shown by the Government of India toward establishing a supply route to China through Tibet. This Government of course hopes that any existing difficulties may be resolved in a way acceptable to all concerned.
With regard to the position of Tibet in Asia, the British Government has been so good as to give an account of its historical attitude. For its part, the Government of the United States has borne in mind the fact that the Chinese Government has long claimed suzerainty over Tibet and that the Chinese constitution lists Tibet among areas constituting the territory of the Republic of China. This Government has at no time raised a question regarding either of these claims. The Government of the United States does not believe that a useful purpose would be served by opening at this time a detailed discussion of the status of Tibet.