856d.00/10–448
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Counselor of the Department of State (Bohlen)1
| Participants; | The Secretary |
| Ambassador Caffery | |
| Mr. Bohlen | |
| Mr. Ernest Bevin2 | |
| Mr. Frank Roberts3 |
Mr. Bevin said that the Dutch Foreign Minister was concerned at the differences which had developed between the Cochran proposals and the views of the Dutch Government concerning elections in Indonesia; that the Cochran proposals were for immediate elections and the Dutch wished to have more law and order established before proceeding with elections. He said the Dutch felt that this was very important for them domestically in Holland and had asked him if anything could be done to bring the United States and Dutch points of view closer together.
The Secretary said we have had three different representatives in Indonesia beginning with Mr. Graham, President of the University of North Carolina, and that all three had felt that the Dutch were delaying and stalling on this Indonesian question; that previously there had been differences between the Department and the representative on the spot and that now there was complete unanimity on the necessity of proceeding without undue delay with the holding of elections. He understood that January 5 was the date under consideration. He said also that the open Communist outbreak against the Republican Government had clarified the situation as to elections and that we felt that elections held now that the Communists have shown their hand might avoid some of the worries of Communist penetration through elections which had previously existed.
Mr. Bevin agreed that the matter should be settled and that the Dutch, in particular Van Mook, had been very unwise in their approach to this problem, acting in the belief that a few troops can clean up disturbances in jungle country. He said the British knew better; that one of the difficulties now was that the Dutch troops in Indonesia were becoming restive and dissatisfied. He expressed the hope that [Page 384] the United States and the United Kingdom could concert their attitude and see how far the Dutch could be met on the point of elections. The Secretary remarked that we had anticipated Dutch reactions as soon as there was any talk of a definite date for elections.