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Memorandum by the Adviser on Political Relations (Murray)61
I think you will wish to note the following excerpt regarding the present situation in India contained in a letter of September 17 addressed to me by Mr. Lampton Berry, who is generally regarded as the most competent political officer attached to the Mission at New Delhi.
[Page 230]Not since I have been in India have I seen such utter hopelessness among Indians of all shades of opinion. I was astonished upon my return here to find all my Indian friends in such a complete state of depression. Wavell’s appointment as Viceroy and what they consider as Mr. Phillips’ failure to impress officials in Washington has led them to conclude that there is no hope for their country. Failure of the British to make any conciliatory gesture and the continued refusal of the Viceroy to permit contact with Gandhi to enable the Indians themselves to attempt to make such a gesture simply confirms their long-held suspicions that the British have no intention whatever of transferring power to India either now or after the war. No Indian and few Britishers that I have talked to believe that Mr. Phillips will return to India. The once almost unanimous Indian view that the United States would exercise its immense power for the practical application of liberal ideals now and after the war is definitely diminishing. Churchill is generally looked upon as the dominating force.
- Addressed to the Secretary of State, the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle), and the Under Secretary of State (Stettinius).↩