Office of the Historian

856e.00/110–748: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Netherlands (Baruch) to the Secretary of State

secret
niact
The Hague, October 7, 1948—9 p. m.

670. Saw Foreign Minister and conveyed to him Department’s view as per instructions contained Deptel 4931 October 6 and outlined to him as instructed position which our government would be forced to take if Republic refused further discussion and appealed to SC.

Foreign Minister seemed deeply impressed with gravity and seriousness of situation and stated that neither he nor any member of his [Page 391] Cabinet desired any bloodshed and wished only to see political agreement arrived at by negotiation. He pointed out that their covering letter to Cochran and the 3 points presented as conditions precedent contained in their language what they believe should be done to implement truce and create conditions under which negotiations could proceed. He stated 1,000 natives were murdered today in Republic, 8,000 armed Communists and Republicans had infiltrated Dutch area and he emphasized that this must be stopped and truce implemented. Foreign Minister and Cabinet he says are not concerned with form but only with substance of implementation of truce. Accordingly he states he would be glad to hear any suggestions Cochran or our government could propose which would reach these objectives and accomplish implementation of truce agreement which would be effective and inoffensive to other party and agreeable to Cochran.

As to other matters presented he could not discuss these until he had consulted Cabinet but would only state that as far as time limit was concerned 3 weeks should be long enough to arrive at essentials of political agreement and that then the two parties should be able to decide and fix a time limit for the definite conclusion of whole agreement and that this should be as soon as feasible.

Personally I believe that plan submitted by Netherlands contains what they believe to be essential from their long experience in premises. It may be possible that they will consent to change the form or delay the time in which Netherlands plan shall be presented to other 2 delegations of GOC and to Republic.

Baruch
  1. Repeated in telegram 480, October 8, 4 p. m., to Batavia.↩