Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXVI, Indonesia; Malaysia-Singapore; Philippines

44. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)¹

Washington, April 17, 1964.

SUBJECT

• Indonesia

I have asked Cuthell in the Department of State and Poats in the AID Agency to prepare recommendations from their departments to the President, through the NSC, with respect to our policy in Indonesia.² When Bill Bundy and the Secretary return, they will review these recommendations, so that we should be able to have a meeting on the subject late Wednesday or Thursday of next week.³

I have in mind two principal matters for the meeting:

1. The President’s approval of a telegram to Jones (a working draft of which is attached⁴), giving Jones guidance with respect to Sukarno’s anticipated visit to the World’s Fair on May 16th and a brief visit to the White House.

2. Consideration of the State/DOD/AID recommendations for continuance of limited assistance to Indonesia, subject to continuing review by the Secretaries of State and Defense in light of the diplomatic and military developments in the dispute between Malaysia and Indonesia. These recommendations will be supported by a political justification from State and a description of the current assistance programs to be prepared by Defense and AID.

I would expect that from the meeting would emerge a Record of Action, showing the President’s approval of the recommendations, which would be classified, but would be drafted in such a way that it could be made available to the Congress in compliance with the Broomfield Amendment.

Mike

1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Indonesia, Vol. I, Memos, 11/63–4/64. Secret.
2. Apparent reference to Document 48.
3. No record of this meeting has been found. Rusk’s Appointment Book does not indicate that he met on Wednesday, April 22 or Thursday, April 23 to discuss Indonesia. (Johnson Library)
4. Attached, but not printed. The draft was sent as telegram 1163 to Djakarta, April 25, in which the Department stated that given the present atmosphere in the United States, President Johnson could not formally invite Sukarno to visit Washington in conjunction with his projected visit to the New York World’s Fair. If Sukarno came to New York, the President would be prepared to receive him in Washington for a short, informal, and quiet visit on a time available basis. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 7 INDON) When Jones broached the question of the visit on April 29, Sukarno interrupted him to say that he appreciated the offer, but would not be able to come to the United States because of the uncertainties of the upcoming summit meeting on Malaysia. Sukarno subsequently designated Chaerul Saleh to represent Indonesia at the World’s Fair. (Telegrams 1163 to Djakarta, April 25; 2248 from Djakarta, April 28; and 1187 to Djakarta, May 4; ibid.)