Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1943, The Near East and Africa, Volume IV

124.45/69

The Secretary of State to the British Ambassador (Halifax)

The Secretary of State presents his compliments to His Excellency the British Ambassador and has the honor to refer to the Department’s note of September 30, 1943 regarding the organization of American official representation in India. It is believed that the following information, which is supplementary to that contained in the Department’s note under reference, will clarify those points about which doubt existed:

(a) All civilian representatives of the United States Government, or its agencies, in India, with the exceptions cited below, or with such other exceptions as may be later notified to the appropriate authorities, are responsible to the American Mission in New Delhi rather than to the American military authorities.

(b) The civilian representatives who are responsible to the American military authorities in India are (1) representatives of the Office of Strategic Services, (2) members of the psychological warfare unit of the Office of War Information, (3) members of the economic intelligence unit originally established by the Office of Economic Warfare and now incorporated into the Foreign Economic Administration, and (4) political advisers, technical observers and technicians on duty with the United States Armed Forces.

It may be added that other persons in India, not members of the United States Armed Forces and not representatives of this Government or of any agency thereof but subject to the control of the American military authorities are (1) American civilians employed by the American military authorities locally or by the War Department, (2) accredited war correspondents, (3) American Red Cross personnel.

(c) By agreement between the Departments of State and War, it is contemplated that if no objection is perceived Mr. Ralph Block, Special Assistant to the Personal Representative of the President, will continue to supervise the activities of the psychological warfare unit of the Office of War Information, and similarly that Mr. John Fischer, also Special Assistant to the Personal Representative of the President, will continue to supervise the activities of the economic intelligence unit of the Foreign Economic Administration.

The Department will welcome any comment which the Embassy may desire to make with regard to the arrangements outlined above.⁸⁸

Washington , January 12, 1944.

88. In a note of February 10, 1944, the British Embassy replied that “neither the Government of India nor the United Kingdom Government have any comment to make in regard to the memorandum.” (124.45/73)