501.BC Indonesia/12–1848: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Acting United States Representative at the United Nations (Jessup) at Paris1
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4861. For Jessup. Deptel 4827, Dec. 16.2 Tone of Dutch reply to Hatta letter of Dec 13 and statement made by Dutch FonOff to diplomatic reps of UK, France, Canada, Belgium and US reported Hague’s 870 Dec 17 make obvious that Neth Govt has made up its mind to form interim Govt in Indonesia without the republic; in fact, unconfirmed press reports reaching us this morning state BIO decree has already been promulgated.3
Furthermore AmEmbassy Hague reports that Stikker told our Chargé following meeting with diplomatic reps at 1:20 p. m. that milit operations including march on Jogjakarta would commence within 2 hours. Faced with this situation it will be necessary for SC to meet in emergency session to deal with what may prove to be a grave threat to internatl peace and security. Embassy Paris should immediately consult with UN reps of Belgium and Australia, our partners on GOC, expressing this Govt’s belief that Council should promptly meet and inquiring if other GOC Govts share this belief. If so, it would seem appropriate for Australia, Belgium and US jointly to call for emergency council session tomorrow; however, if Belgian or Australian reps are unable to associate themselves with us in this undertaking, Embassy acting in Jessup’s name should request president of SC to call emergency meeting further to consider Indonesian problem in light of recent events and of concluding para last GOC report. However, every reasonable effort should be made to avoid our having to take unilateral action in convoking council session.
When council meets it would be our thought that US rep would express concern of this Govt over resumption of fighting in Indonesia in violation of council’s cease-fire order. We do not propose at this time to be specific as to course of action which this Govt would advocate [Page 578] upon breach of cease-fire order. Main objective of tomorrow’s meeting would be instant warning to the parties that hostilities must cease. However, Jessup is authorized on a top secret basis to inquire of other council members view of their Govts as to possible action council should take, including action under Chapter 7. In response to inquiry, Jessup is authorized to state privately that this Govt is undertaking a top level review of policy and its charter commitments, including consideration of Chapter 7 action.
Turn of events makes obvious fact that GOC has not succeeded in its endeavor and Jessup should privately make clear to other council members and to Secretariat that this Govt, does not intend to continue to participate as member of an organ whose best efforts have met with frustration. We shall, of course, as we told Netherlands Govt in aide-mémoire of Dec 7, support GOC plan in principle; however, it seems certain that there is no chance of acceptance of GOC plan by Netherlands, to say nothing of its securing 7 affirmative votes in SC. Should plan not be voted by SC, or should it be rejected by one or both parties, we shall have no other course than to withdraw from GOC.
This decision would not, however, preclude U.S. remaining as member of GOC long enough to make report to SC on facts of this present situation, particularly military situation.
- Repeated as 669, Usgoc 250, to Batavia; 668 to Brussels, 646 to The Hague, 4703 to London, 280 to Canberra, and 153 to Ottawa.↩
- Telegram 663, December 16, p. 568.↩
- Telegram 875, December 18, from The Hague (received at 3:02 p. m.), quoted the communiqué issued by the Netherlands Foreign Office announcing promulgation of the interim government of Indonesia under authority of the emergency bill Indonesia (856d.00/12–1848). For text, see SC, 3rd yr., Suppl. (Dec.), p. 251.↩