740.0011 Pacific War/3272: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in China (Atcheson)
1340. Reference Embassy’s 777, May 25, 2 p.m., in regard to reported Chinese troop concentrations along the Tibetan border.
1. British Embassy has brought to the Department’s attention a further report received from the Government of India to the effect that the strength of Chinese troops in the vicinity of Yushu, Chinghai, has been considerably increased; that additional arms and supplies are being shipped into that area; that the Tibetans are reported to have increased their own forces and that considerable tension exists. The Government of India has instructed its representatives at Lhasa to endeavor to verify the above information and to suggest to the Tibetan authorities that they take steps to prevent their own troops from provoking frontier incidents.
This further report regarding Chinese troop concentrations in the Chinghai–Tibet border area appears to be substantiated, at least in part, by the information contained in the Embassy’s despatch no. 1482, August 17.
2. The Department suggests that the Embassy if it perceives no objection make inquiry of the Foreign Office in regard to these reported troop concentrations and discreetly indicate as on your own initiative a concern over the possibility that these troop movements, if they are actually being carried out, might result in armed clashes between Chinese and Tibetan troops and furthermore that such an unfortunate development could not fail adversely to affect the cooperative efforts being made to defeat the Japanese and restore peace and tranquility in the Far East.