316. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson1
With the Gandhi visit behind us, it is time to begin shoring up the Pakistan side of our affairs in the subcontinent.
A first step is to tell Ayub what you said to Mrs. Gandhi about Indo-Pak relations and Kashmir, since we promised to keep him informed. Kashmir is still his chief concern, and he will be watching sharply for signs that we are favoring India. The attached letter2 assures him that [Page 613] you pressed Mrs. Gandhi on this subject as hard as you pressed him. While we cannot report any specific progress, it will reassure Ayub to know that you have not forgotten your promise to him to say the same hard things to the Indians that you said to him. It is also a chance to let him know gently that we are watching the Chicom visit.
I recommend you take an especially close look at the State Department text. Because most of your talk with Mrs. Gandhi was private, they were drafting partly in the dark. Knowing what you told both her and Ayub, you may want to put your personal stamp on this one. The only caution is that we do not want to say anything the Paks could leak to our disadvantage in India.
Secretary Rusk will soon be sending you recommendations for possible next steps with Pakistan on the economic side. Ayub’s finance minister will be here next week for informal talks with the World Bank and AID. Ayub is still pressing for resumption of military aid, and we will have recommendations on that in a few weeks. But we are ignoring both the economic and military questions in this letter in order to preserve your flexibility, while still maintaining a little movement.
- Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, Walt W. Rostow, Aides File, Vol. I, April 1–30, 1966. Confidential. A handwritten note on the memorandum reads, “Rec’d Ranch 4–16–66, 5:00 p.”↩
- Document 317.↩