501.BC Indonesia/2–2648: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Consulate General at Batavia
90. For Gocus 72. Gocus 160 Feb 24 and 163 Feb 26. Dept approves your efforts with Republic leaders and Dutch. For your info suggestion Deptel 62 Feb 13 predicated on Dept’s belief that Republic obligated under Prin 1 to accept Neth sovereignty during interim period and to accept USI sovereignty at termination interim period; that Neth on other hand should immediately formulate plans for formation of provisional interim Govt, simultaneously announcing conditions under which Republic’s participation therein would be invited (Congentels 151 and 152, Feb 20).
Dept believes US Govt would find it difficult if not impossible to extend economic and financial assistance to more than one sovereign recipient in NEI at any given time and that since 1st Prin clarifies locus of sovereignty, economic and financial assistance could be extended only to Neth as sovereign in interim period, and subsequently only to sovereign USI as legal heir to commitments of interim Govt.
Dutch should realize that extension US assistance to any NEI Govt which does not include Republic would, of course, place US in position of either discriminating against Republic as outside the sovereign NEI Govt or of extending assistance separately to Republic. Both of these choices, of course, impossible to US and at least embarrassing to Neth.
Dept believes Republic should be encouraged to join interim Govt immediately because (a) it will thereby insure its full participation in benefits of any US economic and financial assistance to interim Govt, and (b) Republic’s position in negotiation of difficult questions more realistic and less irresponsible as member interim Govt than as state of undefined status outside interim Govt.
Send Batavia as 90. Repeat The Hague as 81.