811.2390H/1: Telegram
The Minister in Afghanistan (Engert) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 3—8:29 a.m.]
92. Visit such as you suggest in your 52, April 28 would have to be handled with extreme care. If you really feel that it is essential for [Page 24] military or political reasons I would suggest that a high ranking officer, nothing less than a brigadier or major general, be sent out or perhaps detailed from India. I could probably get authorization for him to come because Afghan Government may feel flattered. There is no assurance that he would be permitted to travel in the direction of the Russian frontier except that he would probably be able to visit Herat. Simplest plan would be for me to request authorization for such officer to travel from India to Tehran via Kabul, Kandahar and Herat which would give him about 3 weeks in Afghanistan. But travel in uniform is entirely out of the question even for brief visit to Kabul only.
Quite frankly I do not believe that he could possibly collect any information which the Military Attaché or I could not obtain if we knew precisely what the Army wishes to find out.