501.BC Indonesia/12–2848: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State 1
urgent
niact
6475. From Jessup: Reurniact 4943, December 27. Believe SC situation calls for some follow-up resolution. We agree Colombian draft is badly drafted and inadequate. In our judgment it is unrealistic to assume we shall have any Netherlands declaration, in SC which will satisfy those members who supported the joint resolution adopted December 24. Resolution on basic proposals for settlement as indicated urreftel may involve too much delay in terms of instructions to delegates [Page 612] to permit action before Council recesses Thursday evening. If this is true, there will still be pressure for something to at least save the face of the SC in case of continued Dutch noncompliance. Would Department consider appropriate follow-up resolution similar to SC Indonesian resolution of August 26, 1947?2 In absence of more safe-factory proposal, we may find it necessary to use discretion given in urreftel and support Colombian resolution or modification thereof.
Have just learned from Palar that Colombian representative is planning to introduce another resolution calling for release of President Soekarno and other political prisoners within 24 hours. Although we have not yet seen draft of this, we are inclined to favor a resolution along these lines following up Paragraph (B) of joint resolution adopted December 24.3 [Jessup.]
- Repeated in telegram 702, December 28, 5 p. m., to Batavia (Usgoc 265).↩
- For text of document S/521, August 25, adopted August 26, 1947, see SC, 2nd yr., no. 84 (August 26, 1947), footnote 1, p. 2224; for vote, see ibid., p. 2232.↩
- Telegram 707, December 30, 1 p. m., to Batavia (Usgoc 267), reported adjournment of the Security Council until January 6 and asked for recommendations by Mr. Cochran as to “next steps”. (501.BC Indonesia/12–3048)↩