845.00/6–1545
The British Minister ( Balfour ) to the Acting Secretary of State
Dear Mr. Grew: The decisions taken by His Majesty’s Government as a result of the discussion of the political situation in India with the Viceroy during his recent visit to London will be announced in a statement to be made by the Secretary of State for India8 in Parliament on [Page 252] June 14 at approximately 2 p.m. I send you herewith a copy of the proposed statement.9 The exact text is still subject to revision. May I ask you to regard it as strictly secret until the statement has actually been made.
I may add that as an appendage to the proposal the Secretary of State will also announce:
- (a)
- that arrangements have been made to set free members of the Congress Working Committee who are still in detention, and
- (b)
- that in connection with their proposals it is the intention of His Majesty’s Government to appoint in India a United Kingdom High Commissioner to represent the particular interests of the United Kingdom.
Yours very sincerely,
- Leopold S. Amery.↩
- Not printed; the statement made in the House of Commons was printed as British Cmd. 6652, India: Statement of the Policy of His Majesty’s Government made by the Secretary of State for India on June 14th, 1945. A copy of Lord Wavell’s statement, made simultaneously at New Delhi, had been transmitted to the Acting Secretary of State on June 13 by the Agent General for India (Bajpai), and a preview from a confidential source had been reported to the Department by the Commissioner in India (Merrell) in his telegram 457, June 10, 11 a.m.; neither printed.↩