297. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in India1

80. Eyes only Ambassador from Secretary. Please deliver promptly following message from President to Nehru:

“My dear Mr. Prime Minister: I have your message from Cairo.2 I thank you very much for your thoughtful comments with reference to the suggestion contained in my earlier message to you.3 I note that you feel that little would be accomplished if we merely raised the status of diplomatic representatives at Geneva and discussed only the question of detained nationals.

“We are quite prepared to make it clear in our communication to Chou En-lai that if our Geneva talks were conducted on a more authoritative level this could facilitate further discussion and settlement of certain other practical matters now at issue between the two of us. I trust that this will meet the concern4 which you express.

“With very kind regards, in which Secretary Dulles joins, I am my dear Mr. Prime Minister, Sincerely, Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dulles
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.93/7–1255. Top Secret; Niact; No Distribution. Drafted and signed personally by Dulles. Repeated to London for information as telegram 200 for the Ambassador from the Secretary. The message to Nehru was sent to the President in draft with the memorandum supra; he made one change, as indicated in footnote 4 below.
  2. Transmitted in Document 294.
  3. Transmitted in Document 289.
  4. On the draft message cited in footnote 1 above, the word “concern” appears in the President’s handwriting as a substitute for the word “preoccupation” in the original draft.