701.45F11/8–947: Telegram
The Consul General at Karachi (Lewis) to the Secretary of State
57. Reference Department’s telegram 478, August 6 to Delhi.1 I presented Secretary’s message2 this morning to Mr. Jinnah as President Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, which convenes tenth. Jinnah received me cordially and upon reading the message he asked that his warm thanks be conveyed to the Secretary. He stated that he would read the message to the Assembly upon its opening and was sure that the members would be pleased.
Mr. Jinnah stated that he was desirous of establishing diplomatic relations with United States as soon as possible and that he had already selected an Ambassador but did not mention his name.3 I referred to the informal conversations between him and Ambassador Grady and between other officers of Embassy and officials of Pakistan Government on this subject and stated United States Government was prepared establish diplomatic relations as soon as officially advised of Pakistan Government’s wishes. I inquired of Mr. Jinnah whether he wished his present conversation be regarded as an official intimation in that sense. He suggested, after moment’s reflection, that upon formation of Cabinet prior to 15th he would present the matter to the Cabinet for approval and would then, after 15th, advise me formally of his government’s desire that there be an exchange of Ambassadors.4 [Page 164] He added, however, that as he is the one who has already made the decision all else was mere formality.
I told Mr. Jinnah that of course we would need working and living accommodations as present Consulate wholly unsuitable for Embassy. I said that from conversations in New Delhi I was aware that Pakistan Government was setting aside quarters for Embassy and Embassy residence and that this gesture was deeply appreciated. Mr. Jinnah confirmed that such facilities are being made available and he added that if any further facilities were needed I should inform him. Reference Department’s telegram No. 67 to me at Casablanca,5 subject quarters, I am looking into this matter and will inform Department. Upon solution working and living quarters problem depends question added staff. Therefore urge Department wait my further report before sending additional personnel as housing problem here desperate. At that time will also discuss question naval and military attachés on which Embassy New Delhi has made provisional report.
Sent Department as 57; repeated Delhi as 65.
- Not printed.↩
- For text, see Department of State Bulletin, August 17, p. 336.↩
- Presumably Mirza Abol Hassan Ispahani, who presented his credentials to Acting Secretary of State Lovett on October 3. For texts of Department announcements on 1) the agreement of the United States and Pakistan to exchange ambassadors, 2) the raising of the American Consulate at Karachi to the rank of Embassy effective August 15, with the concurrent raising of the Consulate at Madras to the rank of Consulate General, and 3) the presentation of credentials on August 28 of Mr. M.O.A. Baig as Chargé of the newly-established Embassy of Pakistan at Washington pending the arrival of an Ambassador, see respectively Department of State Bulletin, August 24, 1947, p. 396, August 31, 1947, p. 438, and September 7, 1947, p. 480.↩
- The request for an exchange of Ambassadors was formalized by a letter dated August 6 from Mohammed Ikramullah, Secretary of External Affairs and Commonwealth Relations, Government of Pakistan, to Ambassador Grady. The request was relayed to the Department (701.45F11/8–847) and answered affirmatively on August 9 by telegram No. 62 to Karachi, repeated No. 494 to New Delhi (701.45F11/8–847), neither printed.↩
- Not printed.↩