501.BC Indonesia/9–2648: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Consulate General at Batavia
us urgent
449. Usgoc 149. Report that Sjarifuddin and Setiadjit proceeding Jogja discuss settlement with Repub Govt (Hague tel 642, Sep 26) suggests possibility deal between Repub Govt and Communists by which reps Popular Democratic Front now amalgamated with Communists might be given place in Govt.
If you believe such eventuality possible, Dept suggests your discretion you indicate to ranking Repub official available that in your opinion recent sharp cleavage effected between Communists and Communist sympathizers in Repub on one hand genuine nationalists on other could only have been most welcome development to US Govt and US public opinion, affording prospect Communist threat Indonesia would be isolated and disposed of at favorable stage in process creation sovereign Indonesia. Suggest you state further firm action against Communists by Repub Govt could hardly fail accrue advantage Repub by giving it clean bill health in eyes democratic govts and peoples and added stature as representative and effective govt; finally, that any temporizing with Communists, particularly inclusion Communist sympathizers in cabinet, would not only destroy these gains but leave Repub Govt in much worse position than before, with scant grounds on which appeal to democracies for sympathy or support. You might call attention events India and Burma as demonstrating impossibility any compromise between Communists and nationalists and developments Eastern Europe as proving amalgamation Socialists with Communists can end only with destruction former.
Such approach must of course be informal and personal to avoid implication this Govt ready come forward with definite quid fro quo for decisive action by Repub against Communists, which Dept not [Page 379] prepared offer as such, although Dept would necessarily reconsider desirability continuing press Dutch for conciliatory attitude toward Repub and acceptance draft agreement should Repub compromise on Communist issue.1
- Repeated as 475 to The Hague.↩