856E.00/6–1246: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Netherlands (Hornbeck) to the Secretary of State84
[Received June 13—7:34 a.m.]
506. Minister of Foreign Affairs outlined to me today latest developments situation East Indies. Said matters not going well; Sjahrir talks of counter-proposals, which implies he is under pressure and can not deliver on earlier commitments, yet avoiding being put in position of breaking off negotiations and maneuvering, should deadlock develop, to put the Dutch in that position; situation in Sumatra precarious; British expecting to complete evacuation most of Japs and then themselves withdraw by end this year; Dutch will have sent replacements into Java but can not extend this to Sumatra where, if British nevertheless withdraw, there will be no protection for Dutch [Page 828] and other foreign interests and for Indonesians friendly to Dutch;85 in that case violence and widespread deterioration likely to occur there; possible Sjahrir may be forced out as was Kerensky in Russia in 1917; it is outstandingly to be hoped currently that Sjahrir will pull through.
Said he not prepared suggest what next step practicable; obviously could not suggest third power armed intervention, nor would United Nations intervention seem practicable; the latter might do were United Nations capable of a united disinterested procedure; should its intervention be invoked under existing circumstances, each of several countries, including Soviet Union and China, would pursue special objectives of its own; incidentally he would not blame Chinese for feeling strongly regarding their own interests in the presence of recent massacre their nationals—which, he explained, had been due primarily to Indonesian Nationalist feeling that Chinese are well disposed toward Dutch and secondarily to fact they are attractive target for looting.