UNITED NATIONS, N. Y., Oct. 21—Secretary General Thant, acting on the basis of military reports from the India‐Pakistan area of a growing threat of war, has sent personal appeals to President Yahya Khan and Premier Gandhi.

Mr. Thant gave virtually identical copies of his messages to the chief delegates of India and Pakistan yesterday and also informed Dr. Guillermo. Sevilla-Sacasa, the Nicaraguan delegate and president this month of the Security Council.

The Secretary General is known to have offered his personal mediation assistance to the parties in the hope of heading off a conflict that United Nations authorities fear could break out at any time, possibly by miscalculation.

The field reports cited by Mr. Thant are reported to have come from a small and all but forgotten international force of United Nations military men who since 1948 have been patrolling a cease‐fire line in the disputed territory of Kashmir.

Since March, the main concern of the 45 military observers has been not Kashmir, but the East Pakistan area.. As sabotage and border clashes have increased, with Bengali dissidents reportedly getting aid from India, there has been increasing fear that large‐scale fighting would occur here.

Informed officials are worried that if India moves forces into East Pakistan, Pakistan will attack elsewhere, possible in the Kashmir area.
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The Secretary General's latest initiative means that the 15 Council members again will be consulted by the president on their wishes to have a Council session. Mr. Thant also has the authority under the Charter to draw the Indian‐Pakistan situation to the attention of the Council for action but has held off, apparently because of the big powers attitude.