10. Editorial Note
On September 9, Pakistani Ambassador Syed Amjad Ali discussed several matters of concern to both the United States and Pakistan with George V. Allen in Washington. The memorandum of conversation concerning recent developments in the Kashmir dispute reads:
“The Ambassador then took up the Kashmir question. He said the Pakistan Prime Minister would make another effort to see Prime Minister Nehru but there seemed little basis for hoping these discussions would result in much progress. However, the Ambassador believed that if the U.S. and Great Britain would in some way try to make their influence felt with Mr. Nehru this would help a great deal.
“Mr. Allen said that we would give this some consideration but that he was not at all optimistic that anything could be done to influence the Indian Prime Minister. Mr. Allen said that indeed he shared the Ambassador’s skepticism over the possibility of progress from discussions with Mr. Nehru. The latter has seized on U.S. military aid to Pakistan as an excuse to go back on the Indian commitment for a plebiscite in Kashmir. There are grounds for wondering if Nehru would ever do anything about the issue in view of the emotional attachment of himself and his family to Kashmir. However, the Indian Prime Minister has never succumbed to the tendency or temptation to seek support through arousing religious feelings. Mr. Allen said he genuinely believed Nehru wants every Indian to be equal under the law–though the fact is, many Muslims in India, in Hyderabad for example, are having a difficult time. This policy of the Indian Prime Minister strengthens him, of course, in his appeal to the Muslims of Kashmir to join without fear in the Indian secular state.” (Memorandum of conversation by Thacher, September 9; Department of State, NEA Files: Lot 58 D 545, Pakistan)