Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, The Far East and Australasia, Volume VI

501.BC Indonesia/12–1948: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Acting United States Representative at the United Nations (Jessup) at Paris

secret
us urgent
niact

Washington, December 19, 1948—5 p. m.

4865. For Jessup: We understand SC will meet tomorrow consider Indo crisis. Please be guided at this meeting by following considerations:

1. We do not desire US assume a position of outstanding and solitary leadership in dealing with this case. As indicated in Deptel Niact 4861,¹ we preferred you associate yourself with reprs Australia and Belgium even in convoking emergency session. Similarly, we desire action taken by Council be sponsored by as many govts in concert as possible rather than that US as so often in past be out in front.

2. Subject foregoing consideration, we suggest tomorrow you call attention Council to para 10 of report sent SC by Cochran of USDel and Cutts of AusDel² (Gocus 500 Dec 19 from Batavia rptd Paris).³ This para 10 reads as follows: “Committee calls upon SC to consider on basis of utmost urgency outbreak of hostilities in Indonesia in violation of Renville truce agreement signed by Govts of Neth and Repub of Indonesia on 17 Jan 1948”.

3. You should say that in response Committee’s call Council must now consider its course of action in view outbreak hostilities in Indonesia. Obvious first requirement on Council is to call on parties desist from further hostilities and a resolution in this sense should be offered, preferably as indicated in section one above in association with other govts.

4. Council’s next step should be to request GOC return full report re outbreak hostilities with its assessment responsibility therefor. Upon receipt this report SC will then be in position determine its succeeding course of action.

Rptd Brussels, Canberra, Ottawa, London, The Hague, Batavia.⁴

Lovett

1. December 18, p. 577.
2. For text dated December 19, see SC, 3rd yr., Suppl. (Dec.), p. 224.
3. Telegram 1117, infra.
4. As 1671, 281, 154, 4706, 648, and 672 (Usgoc 252), respectively. In telegram 5310, December 20, 6 p. m., from London, the Embassy reported the British Foreign Secretary “expressed desire to go along with US in every way possible but who was opposed to sanctions.” (856d.00/12–2048)