795.00/7–1450: Telegram
The Ambassador in India (Henderson) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 14—1:25 p. m.]
86. 1. Bajpai, SYG MEA, showed me today copy of telegram July 12, to Mme. Pandit containing message from Nehru to Secretary State. He also showed me copy of telegram to Indian Ambassador Moscow containing appeal to Stalin and another telegram to Indian High Commissioner London asking him inform UK of these two messages. He said that Prime Minister had felt so strongly gravity international situation that he considered it his duty to do what he could to prevent further developments in direction world war. I deemed it inappropriate to make any comments other than express appreciation to Bajpai for letting me see messages.
2. Message to Stalin was as brief as that to Secretary State. As I recall it Nehru expressed hope that if Communist China should be admitted into UN organization Soviet Union would take attitude which would lead to quick solution Korean problem.
3. Bajpai told me that he was rather disturbed that despite his statements to me of July 11 and instructions contained in his telegram of same date to Indian Ambassador to China (copy of which he had given me) there still seemed to be impression in certain circles in Washington that GOI was suggesting some kind of bargain between US and Soviet Union under which Soviet Union would prevail upon North Korea to withdraw its troops from ROK and US would support admittance Communist China into UN Organizations. I assured him that I had not given my Government any such impression. He said that he had just received telegrams from Indian Ambassador to Moscow outlining conversation which latter had had with Ambassador Kirk and that it would appear from this telegram that Ambassador Kirk seemed to believe that GOI was advocating an agreement of this character.
4. During discussion which ensued I became fully convinced that GOI not only had not authorized its Ambassador to Moscow to make suggestions of kind contained Ambassador’s recent letter to Ambassador Kirk but was still ignorant of fact that such suggestion had been made. I gained impression that Radhakrishnan had been authorized to send out certain feelers but that latter had gone much further than his government had expected him to go and had not reported in detail [Page 386] his activities to New Delhi. Examination of Prime Minister’s letter to Secretary State makes doubly clear that GOI has not been supporting a quid pro quo arrangement.
5. I was not aware of Nehru’s message to Secretary State when I sent suggestions yesterday contained in Embtel 79 of July 13.1 This message apparently calls for basic statements of our policies and time element will of course prevent its examination by this mission before dispatch.