Office of the Historian

501.BC Indonesia/11–1347: Telegram

The Consul General at Batavia (Livengood) to the Secretary of State 43

secret
us urgent
Batavia, November 13, 1947—3 p.m.

453. From Graham 25.

1.
Both parties and Good Offices Committee have each appointed special representatives to meet for discussion regarding implementation SC November 1 resolution. GOC hopes first joint meeting will be held Batavia November 14.44
2.
GOC has held extensive informal meetings in effort reach agreement within itself regarding implementation November 1 resolution. GOC has agreed that:
(a)
If parties reach agreement between themselves regarding implementation November 1 resolution, any such agreement would be within meaning and intent of resolution.
(b)
If parties are unable reach agreement, GOC considers it necessary make its own suggestions regarding implementation November 1 resolution.
At this time, there is no agreement within GOC regarding suggestions it should make if parties fail reach agreement themselves.
3.
BelDel insists penultimate paragraph November 1 resolution does not call for any withdrawal Dutch forces; that any withdrawal would be “impractical”; that Dutch will in any case refuse to withdraw; that foregoing reasons, BelDel will not support any suggestions by GOC contemplating any withdrawal Dutch forces. BelDel’s position squares present Dutch position, reported conversation Van Vredenburch-Scott in immediately following telegram.45 On several occasions Van Zeeland has said French will veto any attempt by SC to force Dutch to withdraw. USDel regards this as speculation not calling for comment.
4.
AusDel insists, in absence agreement to contrary between parties, that penultimate paragraph November 1 resolution contemplates withdrawal Dutch forces to points occupied by them August 4.
5.
USDel has not yet taken firm position within GOC as to whether penultimate paragraph November 1 resolution does or does not contemplate withdrawals. On basis long consultations with US military observers, USDel has formulated interpretation set forth following paragraph.
6.
  • (a) “Hostile action” means any movement armed forces in direction of opposing forces;
  • (b) “Occupied” means physical occupation;
  • (c) “Control of territory” means denial to opposing forces of use of such territory by any means whatever, it being understood that terrain features, roads, transport, weapons available, enter into precise delineation of territory under control in a given area. Alternative definition territory under control is territory in which orders from headquarters may be executed without difficulty.
  • (d) Although control over territory may be secured through civil administration as well as through military operations, boundaries of civil administrative units have no bearing on definition of military control if there are opposing forces within such boundaries.
  • (e) Entire clause, “to extend its control over territory not occupied by it on 4 August 1947” includes lateral movements between spearheads as well as forward movements. Thus, under penultimate paragraph November 1 resolution, such lateral and forward movements must be considered as being inconsistent with August 1 resolution.
  • (f) There is nothing in final paragraph November 1 resolution inconsistent with foregoing interpretation penultimate paragraph November 1 resolution.
7.
Prior taking position within GOC, USDel wishes hear from Department that above interpretation is entirely congruous with Department’s and that it does not conflict with any agreements of understandings [Page 1072] Department may have reached during course discussions leading to passage November 1 resolution by SC.
8.
If Van Vredenburch returns Hague for consultations as presently contemplated by him, Department may wish consider feasibility making its views known appropriate time to Dutch through American Embassy Hague. [Graham.]
Livengood
  1. Repeated by the Department to The Hague in No. 553, November 14, 6 p.m. Telegram 455, November 13, 6 p.m., from Batavia, not printed, was also repeated in this telegram.↩
  2. At this meeting the Dutch and Indonesians met for the first time in regard to the cease-fire question (501.BC Indonesia/11–1547).↩
  3. Telegram 455, November 13, 6 p.m. (No. 26 from Graham), not printed.↩