Secret Letter from Roger Makins to Michael W. Perrin

Foreign Office,
S.W.1.

SECRET

5^th June, 1951.

Dear Michael,

With reference to your letter to Harpham of the 17^th May about Indian monazite, I enclose a copy of a further letter from Marten on the subject.

You will see that Pawley (who, according to the “Times”, arrived in London yesterday) is on his way to New Delhi with Hamilton for the purpose of negotiating a deal whereby, in return for putting up a processing plant, the United States would get thorium and crude monazite. The Americans (or at any rate Pawley) evidently think they can achieve results in spite of the linkup between the Indians and the French.

As regards Marten’s paragraph 7, it is my understanding from our talk at the beginning of May that they Indians have already made an agreement with the French for the construction in India of a beryllium-moderated reactor. Cockcroft did mention, however, that Professor Bhabha had said the Indians were still prepared to make some similar arrangement with us and that Bhabha had been asked to indicate in writing what he had in mind. I wonder whether Cockcroft has heard any more from Bhabha and whether you or he think we should or could take any action at this stage to get in on atomic energy activities in India. At present, we seem to be running a bad third to the French and the Americans.

I am sending copies of this letter and of its enclosure to Cockcroft, Pritchard and Cliffe. Pritchard will no doubt wish to inform confidentially the United Kingdom High Commissioner in India of the background of Pawley’s impending visit.

(signed) Roger Makins

Division of 9052
Atomic Energy
6 Jun 1951
General Office

M.W. Perrin, Esq.,

Ministry of Supply.