Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, East Asia and the Pacific, Volume XII, Part 2

756D.5 MSP/2–2652: Telegram

No. 196
The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in Indonesia

secret
niact

Washington, February 26, 1952—10:55 a.m.

935. No truth in frontpage NY Times article by Felix Belair headed “US Weighs Recall of Aide in Jakarta in Indonesia Crisis. State Dept ‘Displeased’ Because Envoy Negotiated Secret Mil Agreement. Economic Pact Favored. Moslems and Nationalists Are Said to Have Quit Cabinet Over Steps Cochran Took”.

Basis of art evidently supplied in direct violation security regs by source with intimate knowledge substance and timing recent secret tels such as Deptel 923 Feb 22¹ and Embtel 1254 Feb 23.² Dept investigating.

Statement Dept “displeased” obviously contradicted by Deptel 931 Feb 25³ which commences “Dept considers reasoning underlying position adopted urtel 1261 Feb 24 sound”.

Dept deeply regrets this personal attack upon your reputation and deplores damage this type art does to prestige and policies US in Indo. Dept issuing denial which will follow.⁴

Webb

1. See footnote 1, Document 194.
2. In telegram 1254, Ambassador Cochran informed the Department of State that the Cabinet would resign and that he had been advised to do nothing under the circumstances. He also suggested that the Department make no comment on the resignation. (756D.00/2–2352)
3. See footnote 5, supra.
4. On the same day, Acting Secretary James Webb issued a statement expressing full confidence in Ambassador Cochran and said that he had acted throughout in accordance with the Department’s instructions. (Department of State Bulletin, Mar. 10, 1952, p. 399)