Office of the Historian

856E.00/10–3047: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Consulate General at Batavia

secret
Washington, November 3, 1947—7 p.m.

295. Following is 4647 Oct 30 from Paris:

[Here follows text of telegram, not printed.]

Request you approach Sjahrir asking him if he has been misquoted by Humanité. Your discretion point out US has not supplied arms to Dutch nor permitted US ships to carry arms to Dutch during entire course Dutch-Indonesian hostilities; that charge US responsibility for outbreak of hostilities is gross falsehood; that far from having given consent to Dutch to undertake present military action US Govt made every effort to impress upon both Dutch and Indonesians necessity peaceful solution of dispute39 (Dept Wireless Bulletin No. 172, July 22) and achievement voluntary association for mutual benefit. Point out to Sjahrir extremely serious results of remarks such as those accredited to him by Humanité reminding him of inability US Govt to look with favor on any Communist-dominated Govt.40

Marshall
  1. See press release of July 21, Department of State Bulletin, August 3, 1947, p. 230.↩
  2. This paragraph was repeated to The Hague in telegram 540, November 3, 7 p.m.↩