192. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kaysen) to President Kennedy 0
Mr. President:
You asked two questions this morning about India: (1) What have we done to keep the Paks informed of our military assistance to India? and (2) How much have we actually shipped?
On the first, Talbot has talked to Aziz Ahmed, the Pakistan Ambassador, twice in the last ten days. He has emphasized to him that our help is limited to the problem of defending India against Chinese aggression, and that we were getting assurances from the Indians that were as effective as the assurances that the Paks had given us about the use of our military assistance to them. So far, he has described the nature of the weapons we have shipped, but not the exact quantities. The next time he sees him, which will be shortly, he will tell him something of the order of magnitude of the quantities. This has as yet had no visible effect in reassuring Aziz.
On the second, as of now we have shipped by air about $3-1/2 million worth (including shipping costs) of equipment and ammunition, adding up to some 800 tons. The list in the attached table1 shows the consolidated Indian request, what we have already shipped, and what will be shipped this weekend. We of course don’t necessarily agree that everything they have requested should be shipped.