Secretary’s Memoranda: Lot 53D444
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Ambassador at Large (Jessup)
Subject: Kashmir
| Participants: | Dr. Frank Graham |
| The Secretary |
Dr. Graham spoke to the Secretary at the close of the Committee I session this morning and suggested to him the desirability that he get hold of Sir B. N. Rau now and ask Sir B. N. to give consideration to two points:
- (1)
- With respect to the 16 Indian battalions, what guarantees would the Indian Government require in order to reduce that number?
- (2)
- Would the Indian Government agree to set a date when a plebiscite administrator could take over?
I understand the Secretary expressed no definite opinion to Dr. Graham in regard to the desirability of this matter.
(I consulted Ambassador Gross and Mr. Hyde both of whom expressed the following views. This approach to the Secretary is at variance with Dr. Graham’s general position which has been that he did not want to be in such close touch with the U.S. Delegation that the Indians would feel he was acting under U.S. Government instructions. If the Secretary spoke to Sir B. N. Rau now about these two points which are the main points over which Graham is struggling, Sir B. N. would undoubtedly think that the Secretary was acting on Graham’s behalf. The outcome would not be helpful to Graham or to the position of the United States.)
(On being informed of these views, the Secretary expressed his concurrence and said he would not attempt to see Sir B. N. Rau.)