791.00/7–1350: Telegram
The Ambassador in India (Henderson) to the Secretary of State
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[Received July 13—12:39 p. m.]
79. 1. I have read with deep interest Deptel 52, July 12, 5 p. m.,1 and my present impression is that Indian diplomacy at this juncture is somewhat confused and is working at cross purposes. It would appear to me that (a) Nehru is carrying on secret correspondence with Radhakrishnan unknown to Bajpai or (b) Radhakrishnan either personally or under influence Kapur is engaging in venture on his own without keeping his government fully informed of his activities.
2. I am confident that when Bajpai talked to me on July 11, he did not know that Indian Ambassador at Moscow was making proposal of character contained in latter’s letter of July 9 to Ambassador Kirk. It will be recalled that Bajpai gave me to understand on July 11 that British Ambassador at Moscow had received impression that agreement along lines suggested in that letter might not be disagreeable to Russia but that he, Bajpai, thought it would be unwise to attempt to [Page 372] achieve such agreement. I am quite sure that Bajpai, in spite of his statements that our conversations are on personal basis, outlines them to Nehru. It would be rather surprising that person with Nehru’s experience should permit Bajpai to adopt one attitude in talking with me while authorizing his Ambassador at Moscow to follow another line in discussions with Soviet Government and with our Ambassador at Moscow.
3. I have for time being lost contact with office UK High Commissioner. I understood from Bajpai that Roberts, acting UK High Commissioner discussed with him on July 10 recent conversation between UK Ambassador at Moscow and Gromyko. I have not pressed Roberts re this conversation since I have had feeling that he might be under instructions not to divulge character his latest instructions from London to other than GOI and I have not wished to embarrass him. It seems to me that British and Indian diplomacy is becoming entangled and that resulting confusion cannot be too unpleasant to the Russians.
Department pass London, Moscow. Repeated info London 3, Moscow 3.