501.BC Kashmir/10–1548:Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Acting Secretary of State
Delga 345. I have just received following personal message from Bevin in regard to talk I will have with Nehru late this afternoon.
“I understand you are going to see Nehru. I should like you to know that the whole of our discussions with the two parties have been in an endeavour to try to persuade them that what they ought to do is to arrive at a mutual agreement. Of course, this matter is before the United Nations and the commission have been appointed and we must [Page 430] be careful not to do anything which would detract either from the influence of the commission or its activities, but I assume you will be talking to him in an informal and congenial way, and you might well wish to have in your mind what our attitude to the Kashmir problem is.
2. For your very private information and guidance, Prime Minister Attlee and Noel-Baker have been having talks with the Indian and Pakistan Prime Ministers here and they have been doing their best to try to create a situation in which they might come to a discussion and reach agreement.
3. HMG take the view that it is of vital importance to India, Pakistan, Kashmir and the whole world that a settlement should be quickly reached, preferably by direct agreement between the two parties, and we do not think that is impossible. We have based all our actions on a policy to get a cease-fire, as you well know, and we continue to attach the utmost importance to this. The first attitude of India was a plebiscite and they proposed that the United Nations should undertake it and Pakistan agreed to this proposition. Now the next thing both parties agreed was that the plebiscite should be fair. If they are both agreed on this, they ought to be able to agree on what is a fair plebiscite, and therefore there ought not to be any substance to divide the parties, and certainly nothing which anybody could feel is worth while to run the risk of war.
4. The best solution would be if India and Pakistan could agree and jointly announce to the UN in Paris that agreement had been reached. This would give them a great moral ascendancy and if you could emphasize to Nehru the tremendous effect it would have on the course of events in Asia and the whole world, and if he would accept that, this would be a great achievement.
5. Both India and Pakistan must appreciate that they are faced with the risk of the Russian menace and if they would make a supreme effort to settle their differences it would make a great contribution to peace.
6. It might be that one or other parties, or both, might have proposals for accelerating a decision, and if they could reveal what is in their mind, and put it forward quickly, it would help.”
Hector McNeil1 was instructed to add to foregoing oral message to effect that British Government hope I could indicate to Nehru that Kashmir dispute was matter within British Commonwealth and that it would be much better if two members concerned could settle it together.
His message concluded that British Government considers not only would this be helping them towards settlement, but might save us further embarrassment arising from our association with matter through membership in UNCIP.
Repeated London as 1065.
- British Minister of State.↩