<--PREV Doc #1303  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  Second Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #1305 Document #1304; September 2, 1959 To Jawaharlal Nehru Series: EM, AWF, International Series: Nehru ; Category: Cable. Secret The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XX - The Presidency: Keeping the Peace Part VIII: "Friends and Foes"; September 1959 to February 1960 Chapter 19: Khrushchev in America   Dear Mr. Prime Minister: As you know, I am currently engaged in a round of visits in Europe, prior to receiving Chairman Khrushchev in the United States.1 I am pleased to be able to tell you that my talks with Chancellor Adenauer and Prime Minister Macmillan have been most useful, as I expect will be my talks with President de Gaulle.2 I have been strengthened and heartened in my determination to explore every possible avenue which might lead to a just and lasting peace by the first hand reaffirmation of common aims and basic unity which my trip is providing. In the midst of these talks, I have been distressed to learn from your statements in Parliament that India is experiencing serious trouble with the Chinese Communist regime over border incursions and certain matters concerning Tibet. These difficulties are of concern to India’s friends and, indeed, to all peace-loving countries.3 Last September 11 in a speech to the American people, I had occasion to comment on other actions then being taken by the Chinese Communist regime. I said that we, on our part, believe that we should never abandon negotiations and conciliation in favor of force and strife. It is distressing, now, to observe that once again the Chinese Communist regime is acting in disregard of that principle.4 I would like you to know that I am personally following these events with concern, and that I fully appreciate the problems which they have created for you. I appreciated very much my opportunity to see Madame Pandit yesterday and to learn directly from her some of the circumstances of these border violations.5 During our talk, I was especially grateful for your cordial invitation to me to come to India, which she conveyed.6 With expression of my high esteem, warm regard, Sincerely 1 See no. 1276. 2 See nos. 1301 and 1309. 3 Responding to a March 1959 revolt in Chinese-occupied Tibet, the Peking government had sent troops to the disputed Sino-India border. On August 31, following a series of border incidents, 400 Chinese troops had invaded and occupied several square miles in the semi-independent state of Bhutan (New York Times, Sept. 1, 1959; John S. D. Eisenhower, synopsis of State and Intelligence material, Apr. 29, May 1, May 26, 1959, AWF/D). For background see Steven A. Hoffmann, India and the China Crisis (Berkeley, 1990), pp. 31 - 74; and Neville Maxwell, India’s China War (New York, 1970), pp. 89 - 143; see also State, Foreign Relations, 1958 - 1960, vol. XV, South and Southeast Asia, pp. 513 - 14. 4 On September 11, 1958, the President had addressed the American people regarding the situation in the Formosa Straits (see Public Papers of the Presidents: Eisenhower, 1958, pp. 694 - 700; for background see no. 838; for a discussion of Eisenhower’s speech see no. 852). In response to questions about what India intended to do regarding the Chinese incursions, the Prime Minister had responded: "We hope this will be settled by discussions and conferences, and we do not propose to go to war." Nehru’s statement contrasted with earlier claims that India had no choice but to defend its borders and that any aggression against Bhutan and Sikkim would be considered "an aggression against India" (New York Times, Sept. 1, 1959; see also ibid., Sept. 4, 5, 10). 5 Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was Nehru’s sister and the Indian High Commissioner in the United Kingdom, Ambassador to Ireland, and Ambassador to Spain. 6 There is no record of this conversation in AWF. For developments see no. 1315. Bibliographic reference to this document: Eisenhower, Dwight D. Cable. Secret To Jawaharlal Nehru, 2 September 1959. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 1304. World Wide Web facsimile by The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission of the print edition; Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presidential-papers/second-term/documents/1304.cfm <--PREV Doc #1303  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  Second Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #1305

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