Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949, The Far East and Australasia, Volume VII, Part 1

501.BC Indonesia/11–1049: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Consulate General at Batavia ¹

secret

Washington, November 10, 1949—7 p. m.

563. (For Beam) Usgoc 438. (ForDow).

1. Presence Indo item on agenda GA and necessity discussion in SC of forthcoming UNCFI report raise question of what effect, if any, the timing and scope of discussion Indo case in GA and SC may have upon ratification RTC agreements.

2. Dept wld appreciate your comments on possible timing and effect of discussion SC and GA. Fol questions in particular are pertinent:

a. Does factor of UN discussion in SC have any bearing upon ratification of RTC docs by Repub. Govt., BFO? (If not, Dept is of view that consideration shld take normal course.)

b. If so, is it desirable that SC consideration be prior to or after ratification?

3. Fyi in considering problem, an assessment of possible action in UN follows:

a. Indo is last item on agenda of GA’s Ad Hoc Polit Comite. Wld be difficult to alter timing of consideration of Indo case by more than few days. Not likely item will come up for discussion until end Nov, but in view of GA determination to end session ample time before Christmas, item in all likelihood will be considered comite by Dec. 10. In comite, Chairman (Entezam, Iran) has some discretion re extent and direction of discussion and possibly cld either extend or contract length and number of comments dels in comite.

After comite action, item comes under consideration plenary GA mtg where discussion is more limited but important in light of character of plenary mtgs. GA Pres (Romulo) possesses some power to determine scope of plenary discussion.

Dept expects that probable action in both comite and plenary wld be to congratulate parties. Soviet States likely to criticize developments. Attitude of Asiatic dels (especially those represented Jan 1949 New Delhi conference) not certain.

b. SC has broader latitude in timing mtgs. Most improbable that SC mtg wld be called to discuss Indo case prior to receipt UNCFI report. Yet after receipt, mtg for that purpose cld be scheduled almost any time. Although SC Pres (Nov–Arce, Arg; Dec–McNaughton, Canada) must call a mtg at request of any SC member, in practice Pres exercises certain amount of discretion as to time SC meets and subjects considered at particular mtgs. Consequently, SC consideration UNCFI report cld be undertaken either immediately fol receipt report or at considerably later date, such as middle of Dec. Dept believes that timing of SC discussion UNCFI report might be arranged to coincide most desirable date in light of ratification RTC documents.

In SC mtg re Indo reps of Austral, and Belg may participate discussion without vote by virtue of membership UNCFI, and likely also that India may participate without vote as UN member whose interests “are specially affected”.

We expect that gen tenor SC discussion will be to give strong approbation parties for reaching agreement RTC and to approve continuance UNCFI for observation implementation of agreements. Not unlikely that USSR and Ukraine SSR will attack settlement as creature of US imperialism.

Webb

1. Repeated as 586 to New York (USUN).