Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXV, South Asia

314. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in India¹

Washington, April 6, 1966, 5:13 p.m.

1895. Following summary of conversation April 5, 1966 between Secretary and Indian Ambassador B.K. Nehru FYI and Noforn. Handley also present. It is uncleared and subject to amendment upon review.

1. Following successful Senate Agriculture Committee Hearing on President’s program for food to India at which Secretary Rusk and Secretary of Agriculture Freeman testified,² Secretary called in Indian Ambassador B.K. Nehru. Secretary gave him run-down on Agriculture Committee Hearing and told him that Committee had unanimously reported out House Resolution and that Senator Ellender expected that final Senate action will be taken April 6. Secretary then went on to say that at request of President, he wanted to mention one matter of some urgency. Secretary said that at the public hearing before the Senate Agriculture Committee and privately he had been pressed hard by a number of Senators as to what other countries were doing to contribute to India. He expressed his and the President’s particular interest in learning from India exactly what it had done to contact other countries and what results had been obtained.

2. The Secretary said that on our part, we had contacted 113 countries and of these 23 had offered contributions, 13 were considering offers, 33 had given no firm response, and 44 were unable to contribute. The Secretary said that total contributions from other countries up to now could be valued at about $150 million.

3. Among the countries contacted was Nigeria which had expressed interest in providing some aid although not very much. Moreover, the Nigerians did not want to appear to be intruding in other people’s business and would also have some practical problems regarding transportation. But, the Secretary added, our report from Nigeria indicated that the GON had not taken any initiative because they had received no request from the GOI.

4. The Secretary went on to emphasize that even though token contributions might not be important to the GOI they were of the utmost importance to us since it was essential to the American Congress and American people that our contribution, although large, be part of a large scale international effort. The Secretary pointed out that since India was suffering from the results of an extraordinary drought, he did not think that Indian initiatives to secure contributions from other countries would be a derogation of Indian prestige. Some of the countries contributing might feel that in another year under similar conditions they too could turn to India and other countries for help without loss of prestige.

5. He urged on the Ambassador the importance of the closest possible contact between India and the US in sharing information and a “box-score” as to which countries might be able to help and on follow-up. He said we would furnish the Indian Embassy a list of all countries we had contacted and the reactions we had received. He urged on the Ambassador the need to reciprocate.

6. Amb. Nehru expressed appreciation for the role played by the USG, particularly the President’s, in this effort and indicated gratification over the action of the House and Senate Agriculture Committee. He said that his Embassy would furnish the Dept. all available information on GOI’s contacts with other countries and agreed on the importance of keeping closely in touch with each other.

7. Amb. Nehru went on to say that there was a recent report from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture indicating that overall wastage of grains produced in India was now estimated at between 14–16% instead of an alleged 50% as had been given wide publicity. This included losses in the field, from threshing, from rodents, etc. He added that losses in government facilities were less than 1%.

8. The Secretary gave Amb. Nehru the text of the Resolution approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee which included the two amendments adopted by the House. One of these amendments the Secretary pointed out, dealt with the need to make sure that food was being given to the destitute. The Secretary suggested that it would be very important for the Embassy and the GOI to give publicity to measures being taken to make sure that food was being made available not only to those who could afford to buy it but also to the very poor. Ambassador Nehru agreed and said he would follow through on this point.

Rusk

1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, SOC 10 INDIA. Confidential. Drafted and approved by Handley. Cleared by Staff Assistant Peter T. Higgins in AF. Repeated to Lagos.
2. A transcript of the hearing before the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry on April 5 is ibid., AID (US) 15 INDIA.