Office of the Historian

58. Telegram From the Embassy in Pakistan to the Department of State0

Karachi, November 7, 1961, 1 p.m.

828. For the Secretary from Merchant. Appreciative your 8811 which crossed my 8262 in code room. I naturally accept your judgment which has taken into account my severally expressed reasons for believing risk in delivery letter to Ayub is considerable but if in your view delay possible I would appreciate opportunity to discuss its content on my return.

Ambassador Rountree in next following telegram gives his estimate which consistent with this message.

[Page 127]

In light release my departure statement last night and planned take-off early this morning (in accordance discretion given me in Deptel 875),3 my position so long as I remain in Karachi is certainly confused and probably compromised. In any event I would therefore consider myself poor agent for personal delivery any letter to Ayub.

I honestly believe that from last night onward good offices can more effectively be exercised by our two Ambassadors than by myself. If you agree, I would appreciate by clear telegram Niact your approval my departure early morning November 8 which in absence any PAA flight will require my use foreign airline as far as Rome, Paris or London where I plan to overnight for rest which I can use.

Rountree
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 120.1590/11-761. Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Repeated to Kabul.↩
  2. In telegram 881 to Karachi, November 6, for Merchant, Rusk concluded that the November 2 Kennedy letter to Ayub (see Document 55) should be delivered despite the fact that it was unlikely to persuade Ayub to reestablish normal diplomatic and consular relations with Afghanistan. Rusk reasoned that it was important “to use President’s prestige to make clear to Ayub our views on desirability of GOP’s adopting a less recalcitrant line to avoid pushing Afghanistan completely into Sino-Soviet orbit.” (Ibid., 120.1590/11-661)↩
  3. Telegram 826 from Karachi, November 7, reported that Merchant’s departure statement had been released to the press at midnight on the previous night. It was featured in the morning newspapers under such headlines as “Merchant Mission Fails.” (Ibid., 120.1590/11-761) Merchant had transmitted the text of his departure statement to Washington from Kabul following the failure of his second round of talks with the Afghan Government. The statement expressed regret that his efforts had not led to a solution to the dispute, but indicated that U.S. good offices toward that end would continue to be exercised through diplomatic channels. (Telegram 337 from Kabul, November 4: ibid., 689.90D/11-461)/2/↩
  4. Dated November 5. (Ibid.)↩