501.BC Indonesia/2–2349: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Netherlands (Baruch) to the Secretary of State
188. Foreign Minister Stikker has just sent me following draft to be addressed to President of Republic of Indonesia being translation of invitation which will be forwarded from Batavia to Soekarno probably on Sunday next:
“(Draft for the President of the Republic).
Prompted by the conviction that the highest interests of Indonesia demand that all concerned should contribute to the fullest measure of their ability to a speedy and complete solution of the pending problems the Netherlands Government has again considered the way in which this goal can be soonest attained.
It is of the opinion that a situation should be created as soon as possible in which the conflicts and mistrust of today give way to mutual cooperation and appreciation. Such a state of affairs would in the [Page 250] opinion of the Netherlands Government not fully be reached until sovereignty has been transferred by the Netherlands to a federal government representative of the whole of Indonesia.
The Netherlands Government is convinced that this situation which the resolution of the Security Council of January 28, 1949 has set as a goal to be reached by 1 July 1950 at the latest can be created at a considerably earlier moment by the sincere and energetic co-operation of all interested parties.
In view of this the Netherlands Government has conceived the idea to take the initiative for a round-table conference of all parties concerned in the Indonesian question which could commence at The Hague as soon as possible—preferably on March 12, 1949. At the conference the conditions and moralities [modalities] will have to be discussed sunder which the afore-mentioned accelerated transfer of sovereignty can be effected as well as provisions for the intermediary period including the institution of a federal interim government.
The Netherlands Government is prepared to examine on its merits every proposed solution submitted by one of the parties in free consultation with these parties and to examine to what extent these proposed solutions are compatible with its responsibility.
Consequently I have the honour on behalf of the Government of the Netherlands to invite Your Excellency to appoint a delegation to participate in this conference.
I wish to add that a similar invitation has been sent to the chairman of the Assembly of Federal Consultation requesting his cooperation for the appointment of the delegations for the territories Affiliated to the BFO.
Furthermore, the Netherlands Government will invite to the conference representatives of the provisional federal government and of the minorities.
Finally, I inform Your Excellency that the UNCFI has been invited to attend the conference in order to assist the parties.”