36

Kevin to Department of External Affairs

Cablegram 10 NEW DELHI, [6 January] 1949, 6.55 p.m.

CONFIDENTIAL

Your telegram No.3. [1] I just left Bajpai who is passing your message [2] to Nehru. He confirms that conference is scheduled to begin 20th January, the only acceptances which have come in so far are from Australia and Burma, but reports reaching him, indicate that Arab countries will accept as well as Ceylon. He understands China will be represented as an observer; he said Siam is ‘wobbly’.

2. He said Nehru greatly appreciated your decision to be representative. He added the Indian Prime Minister is concerned about criticism of his motives which has occurred in Australia, and been reproduced in the Indian Press. Bajpai said that Nehru desired to stress that conference does not represent an Asian bloc created in opposition to, or intended to impede the United Nations. Nehru desired particularly to emphasise however, that communists cannot be permitted to be sole protagonist of the Indonesian case.

3. Bajpai thinks conference will last for a few days, he said that Indian Government have themselves not yet worked out even broadly suggestions for an agenda.

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1 Document 25.

2 See note 1 to Document 35.

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[AA : A1838, 383/1/25]