263. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State1
Secun 5. For Secretary from Herter. The highlights of our Bangkok visit were (1) interviews with Prime Minister Pibul, the Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and several Ministers in the government whom we met at social functions; (2) the ceremonies attendant on the third anniversary of SEATO; (3) a long talk with Ambassador Allison from Jakarta.2
[Here follow several paragraphs concerning Herter’s impressions of Thailand and the SEATO ceremonies.]
Allison showed me all his most recent cables to Department. As you know he is not convinced that Soekarnohas gone over the line beyond redemption although he thinks there is a real possibility that this may happen. He will be back in Jakarta Tuesday and will be following the regional conference with some hope that representatives of Sumatra and Celebes as well as Hatta and the moderates may bring Soekarno to realize that a furtherance of Communist policies may well lead to a strong separatist movement which now only in embryonic stage.…He is of course most anxious to have U.S. back up Indonesian claims to West New Guinea in that he is convinced that this is becoming strongest nationalist issue in Indonesia as a whole and that we could recover much lost ground if we could as he puts it side with 80 million Indonesians as against the 4 million Dutch who have to remain our friends anyway.
On this issue I am sure that Minister of External Affairs Casey of Australia will want to talk to you personally since of course this is a matter in which Australia is vitally interested. Casey hopeful he can have good talk with you either in New York or Washington after your return from U.N. and I presume you will want to give him priority [Page 441] in arranging your schedule. I told him that you would advise New York when most convenient for you to see him.
Will be seeing Ambassadors Strom and Parsons from Cambodia and Laos in Saigon.
All well and send best.