Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, Asia and the Pacific, Volume VI, Part 2

690D.91/8–3051: Telegram

The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Holmes) to the Secretary of State

secret

London, August 30, 1951—6 p. m.

1153. At FonOff it has been learned of a suggestion apparently made by desk officers in the Dept that UK and US officials have preliminary discussion in Wash on working level on Kashmir problem prior to formal meeting of Fon Mins. FonOff plans to indicate next day or so thru Brit Emb this suggestion quite agreeable.

Such indication being held up temporarily pending final clearance briefing for Fon Secy. Any such talks wld of course be purely exploratory and any conclusions reached wld be subj clearance in London. It is thought in FonOff that developments immediate future, such as projected visit of Graham to US early Sept and Sov participation San Francisco,¹ will likely have considerable bearing on Indian-Pak relations, but in any case working level discussions wld certainly be useful exercise.

Holmes

1. Reference is to the Conference for the Conclusion and Signature of the Peace Treaty With Japan, held in San Francisco, September 4–8. For documentation on this subject, see pp. 777 ff.