112. Editorial Note

Between January 30 and February 1, a high-level delegation of British officials met with American representatives in Washington to discuss recent international developments. President Eisenhower and Secretary of State Dulles led a group of 19 American officials during the talks while British Prime Minister Anthony Eden and Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd led an 8-member British delegation. One matter that received particular attention during the conversations was the joint interests and objectives of the two countries in South and Southeast Asia in light of the new Soviet activity in that area. During discussion of that subject on January 31, Eden raised the issue of deteriorating relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan:

“Prime Minister Eden referred to a message he had recently received from Mohammed Ali, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, to the effect that since the Durand line had been originally agreed between the British Government as the frontier between the Indian Empire and Afghanistan, Pakistan, as one of the successor states to the Empire, is entitled to have the same frontier. The Prime Minister [Page 220] said that he planned to make a public statement on this matter upon his return to the UK. He wondered whether the United States Government would also be in a position to say something on this matter. Perhaps it could come up at one of Secretary Dulles’ press conferences. The Prime Minister added that his information is that the Russians have available 5,000 tanks and 4,000 aircraft from their surplus stores which they can offer to various countries to stir up trouble.

“The Secretary replied that Assistant Secretary Allen, who was the Departmental officer directly in charge of the area concerned, was not at the meeting this afternoon and that he, the Secretary, was not informed of all of the details of the subject under discussion. He added, however, that he understood there was a meeting scheduled between the Governor General of Pakistan and the King of Afghanistan for next May. He wondered whether, if the US and the UK were both to reaffirm at this time their support of the present frontier between Pakistan and Afghanistan, this might not have adverse effect on the Afghans and make the Pakistanis too cocky on the eve of the forthcoming talks. In any case, the Secretary said, he would look into this matter.

“Prime Minister Eden said again that the present attitudes and actions of the Afghanistan Government are most unfortunate.

“The Secretary agreed.” (Memorandum of conversation, February 7; Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199)