357.AB/8–1751
Memorandum by Mr. Howard Meyers of the Office of United Nations Political and Security Affairs of a Conversation Held on August 2, 1951
Subject: Tension Between India and Pakistan (Kashmir)
| Participants: | The Secretary |
| G—Mr. Matthews | |
| NEA—Mr. McGhee | |
| Mr. Kennedy | |
| UNA—Mr. Hickerson | |
| Mr. Meyers |
1. On August 2, a meeting was held in the Secretary’s office, to discuss the recent troop concentrations on both sides of the Indo-Pakistan borders and possible action concerned with the Kashmir Dispute. Mr. McGhee and Mr. Kennedy briefed the Secretary on recent developments.
2. It was generally agreed that the troop concentration aspect of the problem should be kept out of the Security Council for the present. We should be prepared to send personal messages from the President, to Prime Minister Nehru and Liaquat Ali, if the situation [Page 1808] worsens. We should continue to explore with the United Kingdom the possibility of using United Nations observers between the opposing forces, employing either an expanded Kashmir military observer group or observers under the United Nations Peace Observation Commission. We should be prepared for immediate Security Council action on a cease-fire resolution in case of hostilities.
3. The Secretary concluded that further study should be given to action concerning the Kashmir Dispute, and stated that all possibilities should be explored, [and that] a “shot-gun” approach might be necessary. It might be well to have General Assembly consideration of the dispute, after Dr. Graham returns and if, as seems likely, he is unsuccessful in his present mission. However, it was agreed we could not assume that General Assembly opinion adverse to the Indian position would exert sufficient pressure to cause Nehru to adopt a more reasonable attitude in examining solutions for the dispute. Consequently, immediate and continuous attention should be directed toward developing all possible courses of action.