501.BC Indonesia/12–1948
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Southeast Asian Affairs (Lacy)
Mr. van Kleffens requested Mr. Lovett to receive him during the course of the day in order that he might make delivery of an official communication from his Government to the Government of the United States. Mr. Lovett being unable to do so, arrangements were made for Mr. Helb to make official presentation for Mr. van Kleffens to Mr. Lacy, acting for Mr. Lovett.
Mr. Helb arrived at 12:30 p. m. He said that his Government had learned from the Netherlands delegation at Paris that the United States Government proposed to take the initiative in calling the Security Council into session to consider the Indonesian situation. He said that he fully realized that the Security Council would consider the Indonesian question in the very near future and it was not to the Security Council’s consideration of the matter that he, acting upon his Government’s instructions, wished to address his remarks. He said his Government was concerned at the effect on Dutch public opinion of the United States taking the initiative in this matter and he expressed his hope on behalf of his Government that perhaps the United States Government, instead of acting alone, might associate itself with other powers who were similarly concerned that the Security Council consider this matter at the earliest possible moment.
Mr. Helb was reminded of this Government’s unalterable opposition to police action and of the fact that, since our position in this matter was well known to every member of the United Nations, the United [Page 584] States could hardly fail to respond to the obvious moral pressures which had resulted from the Dutch resort to force. Mr. Helb was further advised that the United States delegation at Paris had already been instructed to associate itself with those other powers which shared the concern of this Government that the Security Council consider the matter at the earliest possible moment but that if no power would so associate itself, the United States delegate was to ask the Council to convene. Mr. Helb was also told that although the Australian Government was prepared to associate itself with the United States Government in this matter, the Belgian Government had expressed itself on December 18 as unwilling to do so.
Mr. Helb was informed that he had made official delivery of his message.