611.914/10–554
The Chargé in India (Kennedy) to the Department of State
No. 419
Subject:
- Developments in the Proposed Treaty of Friendship and Establishment Between India and the United States
As of August 27 Mr. Donald D. Kennedy, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., addressed a letter to Mr. Pillai, Secretary-General, Ministry of External Affairs, in reply to Mr. Pillai’s letter of June 6 to Ambassador Allen wherein Mr. Pillai enumerated some points in the latest draft [Page 1771] treaty that the Government of India desired to clarify or amend (Embassy’s D–1956 of June 15, 1954). Mr. Kennedy took the occasion to inform Mr. Pillai of the arrival of Mr. Frederic P. Bartlett as the new Counselor for Economic Affairs and expressed the hope that the Embassy could now proceed with discussions on the proposed Treaty. The Joint Secretary, MEA, Mr. M.A. Husain, replied as of September 18 that Mr. B.K. Nehru, Joint Secretary in charge of the External Finance Division in the Ministry of Finance, has been designated by the Indian Government to conduct negotiations on behalf of the Government of India. Mr. Husain expressed regret that a delay would be occasioned due to the designation of Mr. B.K. Nehru to visit Washington, and indicated that Mr. Nehru would not be available for treaty discussions before the end of October.1
It appears that until such time as Mr. B.K. Nehru’s schedule permits his attention to the proposed FCN Treaty, the GOI contemplates at this time no other move to expedite the discussions.
Counselor for Economic Affairs
- None of the letters, which were enclosures to this despatch, is printed.↩