501.BC Kashmir/1–449
The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of Defense (Forrestal)
My Dear Mr. Secretary: The problem of supplying military personnel for observing the cease fire and truce between India and Pakistan which I raised in my letter of December 29, 19482 has now become an urgent one.
Although a number of details remain to be worked out, the Governments of both countries have accepted the proposals of the UNCIP for a cease fire, truce and the principles to govern the conduct of a plebiscite, and have already voluntarily put the cease fire agreement into effect as of 12 o’clock midnight January 1, 1949. It is of course, important that there be no serious violations or alleged violations of the cease fire and that the synchronized withdrawal of the armed forces of both countries proceed as rapidly as possible. For this it is essential that the machinery for observing the cease fire and truce, under the supervision of the Commission be placed in operation with the least possible delay.
We are therefore called upon to make an immediate reply to the request of the Secretary-General of the United Nations that the United States furnish twenty officers under the conditions set forth in my previous letter.
The Commission itself intends to return to the Indian subcontinent some time before January 20th to begin its task of general supervision of the agreements.
It is our understanding that the Commission’s Military Adviser, General Delvoie, and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General,3 who are now in India, are proceeding with plans for the employment of observers and have requested that they be made available [Page 1687] at the earliest possible moment. We have reason to believe that the Commission at its January 5th meeting may call upon the Governments previously approached to supply a small advance corps of observers, which would include from two to four United States officers, to report for duty in New Delhi by January 15th if possible and to request that the balance be supplied by January 25th or as soon thereafter as possible.
I would therefore appreciate your advising me whether it will be possible for the NME to furnish the officers and if so whether they can be made available by the dates indicated.4
Sincerely yours,
- Not printed.↩
- Erik Colban, Personal Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations (Lie) and Principal Secretary of the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP).↩
- On January 13 Secretary of Defense Forrestal informed the Department of State that he had instructed the Departments of the Army and of the Air Force to collaborate in acceding to the request of the United Nations and that every effort would be made to send immediately a small advance group of U.S. military observers to assist the UNCIP.↩