856e.01/10–3048: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Netherlands (Baruch) to the Secretary of State 1
us urgent
755. Beel called at Embassy immediately after his conference with Queen and shortly before his scheduled departure for Indonesia as Queen’s High Commissioner for Indonesia. In our conversation he was as always serious and most thoughtful. At the same time he seemed charged with tremendous energy and almost religious fervor to be at his new task and to do everything humanly possible to bring about solution of Indonesian problem as quickly and peacefully and as permanently, without bloodshed, as the existing conditions will permit—and without undue delay. These he said were his instructions and his intentions. He stated that he had full power as Queen’s Commissioner to establish and inaugurate interim government under a [Page 444] union statute subject however to a thirty day review by the States General of any edict he might cause to be issued. He outlined the following timetable—Stikker arrives October 31 and will immediately contact Cochran and through him endeavor begin talks with Hatta. Beel leaves Sunday, arrives Batavia Wednesday. Van Mook leaves Thursday, November 4, and Beel takes over same date from him with full powers of Lieutenant Governor plus additional authority just conferred on him by Queen as High Commissioner.
He said he would endeavor to establish full, fair and equitable interim government of all of Indonesia in which Republic would participate, and trusted that truce terms would be forthwith fully honored and observed by Republic. He said his government must insist on full performance of terms of truce but feared Hatta might, even though convinced of necessity of such observance, be unable to get necessary backing of his people to prevent infractions. I asked him what then. He answered that Dutch stood ready at all times, if Hatta requested them to do so, to help enforce military terms of truce but he did not think Hatta would be able to make such a request. He said it was still possible to form an interim government of all Indonesia with Hatta’s full cooperation within framework of Netherlands amended constitution, but while this was within range of possibilities he was not sanguine.
He was deeply appreciative of Cochran’s unflagging efforts to bring parties together and he hoped with Stikker’s aid bring about an early and peaceful solution of the problem. He reiterated Netherlands viewpoint that responsibility rested heavily on them to resolve this problem without undue delay.
I was deeply impressed by his sincerity and determination to succeed and his full appreciation of magnitude of his task.
- Repeated in telegram 547, November 1, 4 p. m., Usgoc 185, to Batavia.↩