Office of the Historian

791.5 MSP/8–752

Memorandum of Conversation by William L. S. Williams of the Office of South Asian Affairs

secret
[Washington,] August 7, 1952.

Subject:

  • India’s Request for the release of Sherman Tanks and jet aircraft under Section 408 (e) of Public Law

Participants:

  • Brigadier Banerji, Military Attaché, Embassy of India
  • Mr. Kennedy, SOA
  • Mr. Ryss, MN
  • Mr. Williams, SOA

Mr. Kennedy said that he could now inform Brigadier Banerji that the Department of State had approved the release of the tanks which [Page 1660] India has requested, and that the Embassy should now deal directly with the Pentagon to ascertain firm availability information, types, prices and delivery dates.

Brigadier Banerji expressed satisfaction and asked for the name of the individual in the Defense Department with whom he should deal.

Mr. Williams said that the memorandum from the Department which conveyed the Department’s approval of the request was addressed to General Olmsted,1 and that Mr. Cain had made the preliminary studies of the availability of tanks to fill India’s requirements.

Mr. Kennedy said that he had the clear understanding that the Indian Ambassador, at his meeting with Mr. Byroade on Friday, August 1, had said that the Indian request for jet aircraft would not be pressed now. Brigadier Banerji confirmed Mr. Kennedy’s understanding, and added that he had reported to the Defense Minister the points raised during the meeting on August 1 and that so far there had been no instructions which indicated anything contrary to Mr. Kennedy’s understanding. He added that he understood from the Indian Air Attaché that the jets which had been requested were not available in any case, but that the transport aircraft which India had also requested had been agreed to.

Mr. Kennedy said that he had not been aware that approval had been given to the request for transports and that he would look into it.

  1. Not printed; the memorandum under reference from Edwin M. Martin, Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Mutual Security Affairs, to Maj. Gen. George Olmsted of the Office of Military Assistance in the Department of Defense, Aug. 6, is in Department of State file 791.5 MSP/7–152.↩