Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, China, Volume XIX

379. Memorandum on the Substance of Discussion at a Department of State–Joint Chiefs of Staff Meeting⁰

Washington, May 8, 1959, 11:30 a.m.

[Here follows a list of 27 persons present, including Deputy Under Secretary Murphy, Generals Lemnitzer, White, and McCaul, Admiral Russell, General Cabell, and NSC Deputy Executive Secretary Gleason.]

2. Tibet

General Cabell provided an operational briefing. Following the briefing there was a short discussion of the Tibetan situation. Mr. Murphy described the refugee situation and the steps that were being taken to channel private aid from the U.S. through the Red Cross and the Indian Committee for Tibetan Refugees. He indicated that it was important to avoid an indication of U.S. Government involvement and to keep the aid and assistance on a private voluntary basis. There followed a further discussion of the legal status of Tibet in which Mr. Robertson referred to the Treaty of Autonomy¹ and to the fact that Tibet has not been fully independent in recent centuries. Mr. Martin mentioned that the Treaty had been reaffirmed with the Chinese Communists² and that it was clear in its provisions allowing regional autonomy but providing for Chinese suzerainty.

Several members of the Joint Chiefs expressed their hope that the U.S. would be able to take affirmative and positive action in support of the Tibetan people. There followed a discussion of the attitudes of India and the rest of the Asian world. Mr. Murphy described the difficulties which might result if the U.S. established itself as the protector of the Dali Lama and the Tibetan people. He thought it was extremely important that Nehru not be able to place the Tibetan problem in the context of the cold war and thereby to find it possible to wash his hands of the matter. General Lemnitzer hoped we were documenting the Tibetan fighting so we could prepare the necessary “White Paper” to influence world opinion at the proper time.

There then followed a general discussion of the current status of Indian-Pakistan relations and of the possibilities for settlement of the Indus waters problem.

[Here follows discussion relating to U.S. bases in the Caribbean.]

0. Source: Department of State, State–JCS Meetings: Lot 61 D 417, Volume VII. Top Secret.
1. Reference is apparently to the Simla Convention, see footnote 1, Document 372.
2. Reference is apparently to the agreement of the Central People’s Government and the Tibetan authorities on “measures for the peaceful liberation of Tibet.” signed at Peking on May 23, 1951; text is in Documents on International Affairs, 1951, issued under the auspices of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (London: Oxford University Press, 1954), pp. 577–579.