893.00 Tibet/12–849: Telegram
The Ambassador in India ( Henderson ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:10 p. m.]
1523. 1. Embtel 1484, December 1 reported UK High Commissioner would call on Foreign Secretary Menon shortly to tell GoI of Tibetan request for aid from UK. UK officer told Embassy 6th this information had been given Bajpai several days ago together with UK suggestions re future GoI policy as outlined reftel.
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4. UK High Commissioner has not yet received further reply from London in response Tibetan request for aid nor has it received instructions re next step in discussing Tibet with GoI. Meanwhile, however, UK High Commissioner fears prevailing viewpoint in GoI will be that Tibet must be written off and it is also fearful that GoI may even take defeatist line in regard to Nepal. Indication that GoI might seek limit Nepalese imports of arms through India (Embdesp 1027, December 137) seemed a bad sign.
5. UK officer referred to long-standing plan to send small UK mission visit Lhasa and said it now seemed (probable this mission would not be sent spring because it might draw too much attention to Tibet and cause Chinese Communists attempt to assert sovereignty over Tibet sooner than they would otherwise do. His emphasis on avoiding “rocking boat” may have been designed to discourage US from sending [Page 1090] representatives to Lhasa next summer although neither in this or any other conversation have we mentioned that this possibility is under consideration.
6. Embassy becoming increasingly doubtful re advisability sending proposed US mission to Tibet and suggests Department defer decision on this pending receipt more considered views which will be submitted shortly.
Sent Department 1523; Department pass London.
- Not printed.↩