Foreign Relations of the United States, 1947, The Far East, Volume VI

501.BC/9–647: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Acting United States Representative at the United Nations (Johnson)

restricted

Washington, September 6, 1947—1 p.m.

388. In view of Indonesian rejection of our good offices, Dept would prefer that US not be member of committee which will exercise Council’s good offices. However, since we proposed that Council tender its good offices and since proposal was adopted by Council without reservation by us, it is clear that we would have to accept membership on committee if selected by either party or by other two members.

It may be useful for you to have following entirely tentative views of Dept in event US is one of three Council members which will exercise its good offices. We would appreciate your comments on these views.

Presumably both parties will communicate their acceptance and their choice of committee members to SYG in writing. If this done we believe SYG should formally notify two so selected and suggest to them that they meet promptly to designate third member. He should, of course, make available secretariat personnel and facilities to two members initially selected as well as to committee itself.¹⁴

If US is selected either by parties or as third member of committee, we believe we should take position that committee should hold initial discussions in NY in which parties do not participate, to decide such questions as: (1) method of reaching agreement within committee; (2) whether committee considers preliminary instructions from Council necessary; (3) manner in which committee is to keep Council informed as to its progress; (4) where committee should conduct its good offices; (5) initial suggestions to be made by committee to parties.

Re (1) above, obviously important committee make every effort maintain complete unanimity within itself. Should this prove impossible at any stage, committee should, in our view refer matter in disagreement to Council for decision.

Re (2) above, we believe Council should not instruct committee unless specifically so requested by committee and we do not foresee necessity for committee’s requesting instructions except in instances where unable to reach agreement within itself.

Re (3) above, believe committee should keep Council informed of its progress through regular reports. Such reports could be considered logical implementation para (b) Council’s Aug 1 resolution.

Re (4) above, believe committee should conduct its business initially in NY. Thereafter, providing it is agreeable to parties, committee should conduct actual good offices in Batavia.

Re (5) above, believe initial suggestions to be made by committee to parties should include examination and exchange of credentials of representatives of parties, time and place of meetings and plan of procedure to be developed in committee prior to its first meeting with parties.

In our view, committee should endeavor as promptly as possible to ascertain whether and to what extent parties will accept its mediation. One means by which committee could do this at early stage of its procedure would be by requesting parties to submit their views in writing, separately or jointly, to committee on such preliminary points as:

(1) Whether they wish committee to suggest appropriate procedures or methods of adjustment.

(2) If replies to first question are affirmative, each party might be further requested to state what methods or combination of methods would be acceptable and to what specific issues in dispute such methods are to be applicable.

(3) If replies to first question negative, each party might be further requested to state specifically nature of assistance they are prepared to accept from committee.

Lovett

14. The Netherlands obtained the good offices of the Belgian Government; the Indonesian Republic, those of the Australian Government. The Belgian and Australian members of the committee thus established then designated the Government of the United States as the third member. (SC, 2nd yr., p. 2480, footnote 2.) On October 1 Ambassador Warren R. Austin announced to the Council that President Truman had appointed the Honorable Frank Porter Graham as the United States representative on the Good Offices Committee of the Security Council (ibid., p. 2480). For Dr. Graham’s appointment, see also Department of State Bulletin, October 12, 1947, p. 731. The Committee of Good Offices on the Indonesian Question held its first informal meeting on October 8 in New York (ibid., p. 2527).