Office of the Historian

188. Telegram From the Embassy in India to the Department of State0

New Delhi, October 29, 1962, 1 p.m.

1443. Dept’s telegram 1687.1 Ambassador saw Nehru just before noon to deliver President’s letter. Nehru made definite request for US military assistance.

Ambassador and DCM later saw Menon briefly at latter’s request. Menon reaffirmed request for assistance and said list of requirements would be delivered to Embassy tonight or tomorrow.2 Stressed urgent need for automatic weapons and long-range mortars.

Ambassador is now seeing Foreign Secretary Desai and will draft full and important telegram on these conversations within next hour.3

Most important that Department’s comments to press stress that request for US military assistance was made by Prime Minister Nehru personally. Embassy taking same line here with press.

Galbraith
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 791.5/10-2962. Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Repeated to London and Karachi.↩
  2. Document 187.↩
  3. See Document 192. The initial U.S. response to the Indian requests was outlined in an October 31 memorandum from William Bundy to McNamara. (Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 66 A 3542, India, 091.3 MSP, 29 Oct 62)↩
  4. Galbraith’s account of his conversations with Nehru and Menon indicates that Menon attempted to take credit for arranging for military aid from the United States by asking to meet with Galbraith before Galbraith met with Nehru. Galbraith responded that he had to deliver the President’s letter to the Prime Minister before he could meet with Menon. Nehru then made the request for military assistance. (Telegram 1448 from New Delhi, October 29; Department of State, Central Files, 791.5/10-2962)↩