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

Conference files, lot 59 D 95, CF 133

No. 234
Memorandum of Conversation, by Homer M. Byington, Jr., Adviser to the United States Delegation at the United Nations General Assembly¹

secret

[New York,] October 31, 1952.

Subject:

• Western New Guinea

Participants:

• Foreign Minister Luns, Netherlands Delegation
• The Secretary of State
• Homer M. Byington, Jr.

At the close of his conversation concerning Korea, the EDC, and Tunisia, Mr. Luns said there was one thing more of particular interest to the Netherlands which he desired to raise with the Secretary; that was the question of Western New Guinea.

Mr. Luns handed to the Secretary the attached statement of the Netherlands Government on that subject.² He emphasized that the statement was the result of the most careful consideration by his Government and he hoped the Secretary would support the Dutch position. He pointed out that last year the Dutch in their negotiations with the Indonesians had explored every possible approach in a strenuous effort to reach agreement with Indonesia. It had become absolutely clear, however, that the Indonesians in discussing Western New Guinea were only prepared to talk with regard to the modality of how Western New Guinea was to be turned over to Indonesia. The Netherlands Government was not prepared then and would not be prepared at any time in the future to negotiate on such a basis. Not only was the population of Western New Guinea completely different to that of Indonesia but also the future economic and political development of the area could only be furthered through assurance of continuing Dutch interest and support. Mr. Luns, therefore, urged the Secretary that the U.S. oppose at this time any further proposals in favor of renewing negotiations between the Netherlands and Indonesia with regard to Western New Guinea. It was Mr. Luns’ conviction that negotiations with Indonesia would only worsen the situation rather than help it. The Secretary said that the policy of the U.S. would be to continue to maintain that this question was one that concerned the Netherlands and Indonesia and it was not the policy of the United States to interfere in it.

1. Byington was Director of the Office of Western European Affairs.
2. The attachment, not printed, is an excerpt from a statement made by the Netherlands Government to the Second Chamber of the States-General during October 1952. It sets forth the position that de jure and de facto sovereignty over Western New Guinea rested with the Netherlands which would continue to administer the territory under the obligations laid down in Article 73 of the U.N. Charter until the inhabitants were able to decide their own future. The Netherlands Government, while willing to assist in conversations on the territory, felt that a resumption of negotiations with Indonesia would serve any useful purpose.