Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, Asia and the Pacific, Volume VI, Part 1

357.AA/3–1251: Telegram

The Ambassador in Indonesia (Cochran) to the Secretary of State

confidential
priority

Djakarta, March 12, 1951—2 p. m.

1233. Gocus 955. High Netherlands official indicated to me evening March 9 real reason Netherlands desires continuation UNCI in some form is Netherlands concern with possible decisions committee appointed by Indonesian Government re-examine union and RTC arrangements.

UNCI Secretary General Romanos¹ considerably exercised by subgestion terminate secretariat March 31 under plan (1) Gocus 954.² Strongly advised UNCI consult Secretary General UN³ before making such recommendation. Romanos understood plan (1) to transfer functions Djakarta Diplomatic Missions in acceptable Indonesian Government which he believed preferred total dissolution.

So many persons have made informal approaches to Netherland and Indonesian authorities re UNCI future that situation becoming confused. Seems to me best procedure would be UNCI either by letter or in meeting contact committee formally solicit Netherlands and Indonesian views concerning UNCI future in light new conditions resulting from pending solution KL and ex-KNIL problems. Please instruct soonest. All agree here present occasion be seized reconsider UNCI status. Signed Beam.

Department pass The Hague; sent Department 1233, repeated The Hague 121.

Cochran

1. J. A. Romanos.
2. In telegram 1226(Gocus 954) from Djakarta, March 9, Ambassador Cochran reported that Mr. Beam had been informed by the Netherlands representative on the UNCI that his government apparently had two plans for the disposition of the UNCI. The basis of the first proposal was that military observers and the UNCI secretariat would be removed from Indonesia on March 31, and UNCI functions would be transferred to the members’ regular diplomatic missions in Djakarta on an indefinite but continuing basis. The second proposal was that the Netherlands would probably agree to the withdrawal of the present UNCI representatives from Indonesia if the member nations on the commission would continue to constitute the UNCI in order that it could meet anywhere in the world if either RTC party demanded that it be convened. (357.AA/3–951)
3. Trygve Lie.