272. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in India1
1122. For Bowles from Freeman. Reference our tel re Freeman-Subramaniam December 22 summary2 letter text follows:
Dear Mr. Minister:
We were pleased that you could accept our invitation to come here on such short notice to discuss the food situation in your country. Your visit has made us intensely aware of the serious difficulties faced by your people and of the means by which our governments might cooperate in meeting these difficulties.
As you make your plans to speed the movement of grain into India, it would be most helpful if you could provide on a weekly basis information on the arrival of grain by ports as well as supply and distribution information on grain under the control of the Central Government. We also need more detailed information on a monthly basis, including the supply and distribution of grains held by the states. I understand that representatives of your Government and mine are in agreement as to the detailed format for this reporting. We would hope to be advised of any unusual situations which would affect the movement of grain.
We understand that you would welcome a team of US specialists to make a quick survey of the port and internal transport system, along with storage facilities. We are prepared to send such a team within a few weeks. The leader of the team, someone well acquainted with Indian agriculture and food problems, might be stationed in New Delhi working closely with you.3 I might designate a Special Representative who would be on a more permanent basis. He would keep me posted on progress in implementing your longer-term agricultural development plans. If he could have access to you and be privy to your plans it would be very helpful.
[Page 521]After current crop prospects, the short-fall in 1966 and the potential 1967 short-fall have been reviewed once more, we believe that an appeal should be made for external assistance to the “Community of Nations.” This appeal should be made as quickly and dramatically as feasible. It would be well if it preceded the meeting between Prime Minister Shastri and President Johnson in early February. This might even take the form of an appeal by the representative of India to the United Nations.
It is also my understanding that you have begun to examine the possibilities of using large bulk carriers to discharge grain in midstream into smaller vessels and lighters for ultimate delivery to ports. In our discussion, there appeared to be certain problems in connection with the registry of the “liberty” type or smaller vessels which might be used for this purpose as well as the availability of such vessels. I trust you will be examining this situation further with the objective of increasing the overall discharge capacity at your ports as rapidly as possible.
We would like some help from you in overcoming certain problems we face in the United States. Internal rail transport and some ports are already in full use. If shipping requirements are increased, we may need to use facilities not normally used for shipments to your country. Your cooperation and that of your purchasing mission here in Washington in meeting these problems and limitations we face will be appreciated.
We are pleased with the progress that we have been able to make during our talks this week and we hope that we can continue our further close cooperation during the months ahead. Please keep us informed of any way in which we can be of further assistance.
You have done a splendid job here and left a strong favorable impression with everyone.
I have enjoyed coming to know you personally and look forward to a close and enjoyable personal and working relationship.
Sincerely yours,
Orville L. Freeman, Secretary of Agriculture
- Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 7 INDIA. Confidential; Immediate; Limdis. Drafted by E. T. Olson (USDA); cleared in USDA by Brown, Vickery, Eskildsen (FAS), and Freeman; cleared in State by Sober (SOA), and in AID/NESA by Donovan; and approved by Handley. Repeated to Karachi, London, Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras.↩
- Reference is to telegram 1121 to New Delhi, December 23, which summarized Subramaniam’s meetings in Washington, and characterized them as “very useful.” (Ibid., SOC 10 INDIA)↩
- On December 30 Freeman sent another telegram to Bowles in which he indicated that he planned to send a team of specialists to India for a 3-week survey beginning January 9. Freeman named C.R. Eskildsen, Associate Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service, to head the team. (Telegram 1155 to New Delhi; ibid.)↩