501.BC/8–347
The Netherlands Ambassador (Van Kleffens) to the President of the United Nations Security Council (Faris El Khoury), at New York77
Sir: I have the honor to confirm my telegram to Your Excellency of this day, reading as follows:
In a letter dated August 1, 1947, Your Excellency was so good as to communicate to me the text of the resolution adopted that day by the Security Council in respect of conditions in Java and Sumatra. I lost no time in conveying that text by telegraph to the Netherlands Government.
[Page 1010]I have now received instructions to inform Your Excellency as follows:
The Netherlands Government, although persisting in its denial of the Council’s jurisdiction in this matter, fully understands the Council’s desire to see the use of arms come to an end in this as in other cases. Moreover the Netherlands Government welcomes the Council’s resolution in this sense that it jutsifies the hope that, under the pressure of world opinion, the Government of the Republic of Indonesia will now be found disposed to carry out what so far it has failed to do in spite of constant and urgent requests and representations on the part of the Netherlands Government and notwithstanding corresponding friendly advice on the part of other powers.
In taking police action the Netherlands Government has had, from the outset, strictly limited objectives in view; reference may be made in this connection to the communication made on its behalf to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on July 21 in which the limited nature was pointed out of the action aiming at the cessation of a situation whose continuation could no longer be countenanced in the interest of the people.
Having taken into serious consideration the views which led the Security Council to address an appeal to both parties, the Netherlands Government has instructed the Lieutenant-Governor-General of the Netherlands Indies to enter into contact with the authorities of the Republic in order to arrive at the cessation on both sides of hostile action of any kind.
The Netherlands Government confidently anticipates that the good offices offered by the Government of the United States of America and gladly accepted by the Netherlands Government will contribute greatly towards attaining the result aimed at in the resolution of the Security Council.
Please accept [etc.],
- Copy transmitted to the Department by the Netherlands Ambassador in his note of August 3.↩