74. Telegram From the Embassy in India to the Department of State0
1767. I saw Prime Minister at 10 a.m. for half an hour. I told him we could not honestly promise to move Portugal in immediate future, and if issue came before SC we would be obliged to take stand against India, not with a view to embarrassing him but consistent with our opposition to use of force. I then said I had done all that persuasion could accomplish and would not reiterate previous arguments. We then had a long discussion in which I went back over previous arguments and several new ones. Latter included impression of grave weakness conveyed to all, including ghost of Gandhi, if India, having removed the British and French without fighting, should now have to resort to it for mere Portuguese. I noted age of Salazar and indications of internal dissent in Portugal as harbingers of change emphasizing the obvious time limit on the Portuguese colonial empire in Africa and all that meant. Nehru noted situation deteriorating rapidly and that many innocent people were likely to suffer or be killed in this situation. I pointed out that most of the shooting so far had been in newspapers, he himself had said the casualties were negligible, and that my research indicated that only one unfortunate seemed to have got in front of bullet. Why then should a strong government with a well-disciplined army anticipate disorder and bloodshed that had not occurred.
The conversation throughout was friendly even on the tough points like the UN and the newsprint atrocities.
It is my feeling I may have moved him a bit, that he was even looking for arguments. Would also note he was very sensitive to the reactions of the President. It is still my feeling that the decision is to act on Goa or conceivably other enclaves probably tomorrow, but possibly we may have produced one more pause for reflection and pressure from Krishna Menon.
FYI, reference Department telegram 2041.1 I confess I had no real hope you could make progress with the Portuguese but thought you should ask.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 753D.00/12-1561. Secret; Priority. Repeated to Lisbon, London, and Paris for the Secretary.↩
- Document 72.↩