My dear Prime Minister

Would you refer to your letter of the 14th March about the suggestion that in future High Commissioners exchanged between Members of the Commonwealth other than India should be accredited by a letter from their Prime Minister to the Prime Minister of the country to which they are appointed?

The Prime Minister of Pakistan has not yet formally replied, but the Acting United Kingdom High Commissioner in Karachi has been informed that the Paki­stan Government would be happy to provide their own High Commissioner with, and accept from the High Commissioners of other Commonwealth countries, Prime Minister to Prime Minister letters. All the other Prime Ministers have sent favour­able replies on the following lines.

Australia
The Prime Minister of Australia agrees that the most appropriate procedure would be for the High Commissioners to be provided with a letter from their Prime Minister to the Prime Minister of the country to which they are appointed.

New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand has arranged that in future New Zealand High Commissioners will be provided with a letter of introduction from Prime Minister to Prime Minister. He adds that this arrangement will not preclude them from carrying at the same time a less formal letter from the Minister of External Affairs, such as it has been New Zealand's practice to provide in recent years.

South Africa
The Prime Minister of South Africa says that the Union Government readily agree to continue their practice of furnishing their High Commissioners with letters of introduction from Prime Minister to Prime Minister.

Ceylon
The Prime Minister of Ceylon agrees that it is desirable for Commonwealth Governments other than India to decide upon a uniform manner of accrediting High Commissioners exchanged among themselves, and that letters from Prime Minister to Prime Minister would be appropriate. Mr. Senanayake adds that he has in fact written such letters for High Commissioners recently appointed by the Cey­lon Government, and that in his view uniformity in the wording of the letters of accreditation is not necessary.

In the light of the foregoing replies, I think that we may now all proceed on the assumption that in future High Commissioners, other than those exchanged with India, will be furnished with an appropriate letter from their Prime Minister. For our part we shall now arrange that United Kingdom High Commissioners appointed hence‑forward shall carry such a letter. I agree with the Prime Minister of Ceylon that there need not be uniformity of drafting and hope that this view will find general acceptance.

So far as the form of the letter is concerned, I quite agree that the wording should be different from that used in the Commissions given to the United King­dom and Indian High Commissioners in New Delhi and London. So long as the general practice is uniform, as it is now agreed that it shall be, the actual form of words can no doubt be left to the Prime Minister concerned.

I have written in similar terms to the Prime Ministers of Australia, New Zea­land, South Africa and Ceylon.

I have also sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Pakistan telling him that the new arrangements have the approval of the other Prime Ministers, and that I hope that he too will find them acceptable.

A copy of this letter has been sent to your High Commissioner in London.

Yours sincerely,
C.R. ATTLEE

² Note marginale :/Marginal note:
Left by Mr. Thomson, Dep[uty] H[igh] C[ommissioner] for U.K. July 9/51. E. R[eid].