795.00/1–854: Telegram
The Ambassador in India (Allen) to the Department of State
1075. Department pass USUN unnumbered; repeated information Tokyo 71, London 182, Munsan-ni 14, Seoul 42. Munsan-ni for Young; Tokyo for CINCUNC.
R. K. Nehru has just called me to say GOI has received reply to inquiry Indian Ambassador made in Peking re resumption of talks at Panmunjom. R. K. said Indian Ambassador was told to say that GOI wished to know, in view of Indian responsibilities in Korea, whether talks were likely to be resumed and to inquire whether “any obstructions to such resumption might be removed”.
Chinese replied merely that resumption was entirely up to Americans, since Chinese stood on their last statement at Panmunjom and were ready to resume at any time.
I asked R. K. whether Indian Ambassador had specifically suggested record be edited to expunge objectional phrases. R. K. said Ambassador had merely inquired whether whatever obstructions existed could be removed. Chinese took position no obstructions existed as far as they were concerned.
I then asked R. K. whether GOI felt it could send further instruction to Peking, specifically suggesting, as from GOI, that record be expunged. R. K. said this would be substantive step by GOI and he would have to ask Prime Minister Nehru. R. K. said he had just been reading record of final days’ talks and had brought portions of it to attention of Prime Minister, whose reaction was that it was full of “most amazing vituperation from both sides”. He would not know where to start expunging. I said we wanted perfidy charge removed and Chinese wanted us to withdraw charge that Chinese were stooges of Moscow. [Page 1711] He said he would ask Prime Minister immediately whether further step was possible.