17 January 1951: The View From New Delhi

The response from the High Commissioner to India shows an interesting perspective. He is mostly concerned that the language contained in Reid’s memoranda is too “Western,” and suggests edits to make them more palatable to allies in Asia. The Commissioner does not want there to be a perception that “the interests of the so-called Western World seem to take first place.” The High Commissioner feels that Reid is “over-using” the terms Communist and Cominform, and that “it would seem unwise” to suggest that China and the Soviet Union are close allies when in fact they have very different policies. As well, he warns against the phrases “cold,” “warm,” and “hot war” because they imply a Western perspective.