30. Memorandum for the Files by the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (Wilcox)1
In view of the concern expressed in the Department that conversations between Ambassador Lodge and representatives of the Pakistan Government might be interpreted as committing the United States to support Pakistan’s position in the Security Council on the Kashmir case, I called Ambassador Lodge and discussed the matter with him at some length.
I reminded the Ambassador of our policy, which is to encourage the settlement of the controversy either inside or outside of the UN, and suggested that in making suggestions to the Pakistanis about procedure that we scrupulously avoid any comments that might lead Pakistan to believe that we would support them in the event the matter does come before the Council. Ambassador Lodge assured me that he would not deviate from our instructions so much as “one inch”. I replied that I would prefer that he not deviate even “one-half inch”. He pointed out that he had discussed with the Pakistan representative, at the latter’s request, certain methods of procedure, but that he did not believe that any suggestions he made could in any way be interpreted as supporting Pakistan on the substance of the issue. He further expressed the view that he often found it useful to discuss matters of tactics with friendly delegations if they [Page 91] so desired, even if the U.S. later voted against the position of the state with whom tactics were discussed. In any event, Ambassador Lodge assured me that he would conduct any further discussions on this subject with the utmost discretion. He further expressed his appreciation to me for having called him about the matter.
As a result of my conversation with him, I did not send the proposed telegram which had been drafted for my signature. The idea of discussing this matter over the telephone instead of handling it by telegram had previously been approved by Mr. Rountree.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 690D.91/7–556. Secret.↩