My dear Prime Minister,

When the question of the accreditation of High Commissioners was discussed at the meeting of Commonwealth Prime Ministers in 1948 it was agreed that High Commissioners should not be accredited to or by The King but that the question of providing some form of credentials for them should be considered.

Since then, as you know, this question was raised at the end of 1949 by Mr. Nehru in the light of certain assurances which he had given, when India's position as a Republic within the Commonwealth was under consideration in India, that Indian representatives abroad would in each case be accredited by the President of the Indian Republic to the Head of the State concerned. Following discussions between the United Kingdom and Indian Governments, of which other Common­wealth Governments were duly informed at the time, it was agreed that the United Kingdom High Commissioner in Delhi and the Indian High Commissioner in London should be given Letters of Commission signed by The King and the Presi­dent respectively.

In these circumstances, I think you will agree that the time has come for Com­monwealth Governments other than India to consider the adoption of some form of intergovernmental accreditation for High Commissioners exchanged between themselves. Subject to the views of other Commonwealth Governments, it seems to me that the most appropriate procedure would be for such High Commissioners to be provided with a letter from their Prime Minister to the Prime Minister of the country to which they are appointed. This is the procedure actually followed by the Union Government in the case of their High Commissioners, and I suggest that it should be adopted, or in the case of South Africa continued, in all future appoint­ments of this kind.

I am writing in similar terms to the Prime Ministers of all the other Members of the Commonwealth except India, and I am sending copies of my letters to the respective Commonwealth High Commissioners in London.¹

Yours sincerely,
C.R. ATTLEE

¹Note marginal:/Marginal note:
Mr Ritchie to note
Mr Pick/Mr Feaver to prepare memo[randum] to P[rime] & Minister & draft reply A.D.P.H[eeney] Feb 21.