206. Telegram 1119 from London1
1119. Foreign Office has drawn Embassy’s attention to commentary in Peiping People’s Daily denouncing “distortion by USIS” of US-CHICOM “agreement” of September 10 at Geneva. Although involved and confused, commentary appears make two basic points:
- (A)
- US delaying invitation to UK assume functions set forth in announcement in order postpone consideration of “item 2”, and
- (B)
- CHICOMS insist they, and not US, should invite Indians.
Re (A) Foreign Office has prepared for Macmillan’s signature reply to Ambassador’s letter of September 13 (Embtel 1018) agreeing assume [Typeset Page 270] functions. It is hoped reply can be delivered today. Foreign Office will then be able inform press it has done so.
Re (B) Foreign Office notes that in the background statement read to press in Washington on September 10 (substance of which was given Foreign Office on basis Deptel 1363) US is to invite both UK and India to assume their respective functions, although agreed announcement was far from specific (and perhaps intentionally so) on this point.
Foreign Office requests informal and confidential clarification on this point, including whether this ambiguity of language was accepted by CHICOMS in apparent good faith and is now being aired by them, perhaps, for political purposes.
[Facsimile Page 2]New subject: Has Department any comment to make on points made by O’Neill (Embtel 1034) especially paragraph 4.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/9–2055. Confidential.↩