740.0011 P. W./223
The British Embassy to the Department of State
The United States authorities will no doubt have seen the text of the broadcast address made by the Netherlands Minister for Foreign Affairs to the people of the Netherlands East Indies on May 6th. In the course of this address, a copy of the relevant portion of which is attached,24 the Netherlands Foreign Minister declared that in the view of his Government an attack on any point on the line running from Singapore through the Netherlands East Indies to Australia must be considered and treated as an attack on the whole line and as one equally affecting all those concerned.
The Netherlands authorities have been endeavouring for some time past to secure from the British Government some declaration from them of their readiness to defend the Dutch East Indies. Although the United Kingdom Government have so far made no definite reply to the representations from the Netherlands Government they feel that the situation has been altered by Monsieur van Kleffens’ statement and that it is important for them to make a public statement to match that made by the Netherlands Minister for Foreign Affairs. Subject therefore to the concurrence of the Dominions Governments, which are being urgently consulted, and provided the United States Government see no serious objection, the British Government therefore proposes to make a public statement at an early date corresponding as closely as possible to that of Monsieur van Kleffens. This statement would welcome the determination of the Netherlands East Indies to resist attack and would emphasize the fact that the British authorities, like the Dutch authorities, have no aggressive intentions but that they have an interest in any moves likely to prejudice the security of the line, running from Malaya through the Netherlands East Indies to New Zealand and that they agree that any attack on any part of that line equally concerns all the affected parties and must be dealt with as an attack on the whole line.
The British authorities feel that such a declaration, as well as clarifying the position, would serve to encourage the people of the Netherlands East Indies and the people of other countries threatened by Japan. It would also have the advantage of making it clear that the British attitude is purely defensive and as such seems preferable to any assurances which might be given privately to the Netherlands Government and which, if they subsequently become known to the Japanese Government, might be liable to distortion and misrepresentation.
- Not printed.↩