Office of the Historian

Coup and Counter Reaction: October 1965–March 1966

202. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Berger) to Secretary of State Rusk

Washington, March 14, 1966.

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 15 INDON. Secret. Drafted by Meyers and Conlon. Rusk initialed the memorandum.

203. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Indonesia

Washington, March 17, 1966, 6:53 p.m.

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, AID (US) INDON. Secret; Priority; Limdis. Drafted by Cuthell; cleared in draft with Barnett, Vladimir Toumanoff, Officer-in-Charge of Multilateral Political Relations (EUR/SOV), and Poats; cleared by Mann and Richard W. Petree, Officer-in-Charge of Japanese Affairs; and approved by Bundy. Also sent to Tokyo and repeated to Moscow, Bonn, Paris, The Hague, Kuala Lumpur, and Hong Kong. In a note to Komer, March 18, Thomson reported that this cable went out without White House approval and was the “end product of a reluctant and hand wringing approach to contingency planning” strongly encouraged by the NSC staffers. Although “irked” by some preemptory judgments, Thomson “welcomed even this bit of glacial progress on the part of the Department.” Thomson concluded, “Clearly the Japanese are being set up as our front men, and I suppose that makes sense.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Indonesia, Vol. VI)

204. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Indonesia

Washington, March 22, 1966, 8:50 p.m.

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 1 INDON. Secret; Limdis. Drafted by Cuthell, cleared with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Walter J. Stoessel, Jr., Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs David H. Popper, Barnett, Ewing, and Officer-in-Charge of Japan Affairs Richard W. Petree. Repeated to Bangkok, Bonn, Canberra, The Hague, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, London, Manila, Moscow, Paris, Rome, Tokyo, Wellington, CINCPAC for POLAD, and USUN.

205. Memorandum From James C. Thomson, Jr., of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant (Moyers)

Washington, March 31, 1966.

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Indonesia, Vol. VI, 11/65–5/66. Secret. Copies were sent to Bromley Smith, Executive Secretary of the NSC, and to Edward Hamilton of the NSC Staff.