226. Editorial Note
At a meeting of the National Security Council on May 2, Allen Dulles commented on developments in Indonesia as follows:
“Mr. Dulles pointed out that [Soviet Head of State Marshal Kliment E.] Voroshilov was making a state visit to Indonesia. There were 60 people in his retinue, and the visit was to consume 19 days. One obvious purpose of the visit was to undercut Indonesian resistance to the $100 million credit which had been offered to Sukarno [Page 377] when he visited Moscow last year. The Soviet offer had not yet been ratified by the Indonesian Parliament.
“Mr. Dulles indicated that there had been no change in the opposition of the rebels in the non-Javanese islands of Indonesia. The outlook was one of continued deadlock. …
“Secretary Herter commented that the State Department was rather encouraged by the unfolding of the make-up of President Sukarno’s new Cabinet. While there were three or four pro-Communists or fellow-travellers, they occupied rather minor Cabinet posts. The more important posts had been given to individuals in which we could have some degree of confidence.” (Memorandum of discussion by Gleason, May 2; Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records)
In NSC Action No. 1709, taken at the meeting, the Council “noted and discussed” an OCB Progress Report on United States policy on Indonesia. (Department of State, S/S–NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, Records of Action by the National Security Council, 1957) Gleason’s memorandum contains no summary of this additional discussion. The Progress Report, dated April 3, reported developments from October 10, 1956, through April 3, 1957. (Ibid.: Lot 63 D 351, NSC 5518 Series)