Office of the Historian

304. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Indonesia1

Washington, December 1, 1957—1:13 p.m.

1186. Your 1379.2 You are authorized convey to President Sukarno President Eisenhower’s personal satisfaction3 on safety Sukarno and family and through him condolences to families victims assassination attempt. Inform Department priority when message delivered.4

Dulles

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 756D.11/12–157. Confidential; Niact. Drafted and approved in SPA; cleared by Goodpaster, in substance by Robertson, and with S/S. Cleared orally by Secretary Dulles, although the source text does not so indicate. Notes prepared by Carolyn J. Proctor of a telephone call to Goodpaster at 12:55 p.m., read as follows:

    “Sec asked him to read to him the proposed message to Sukarno. Sec suggested ‘satisfaction’ might be a happier choice of word than ‘congratulations’. Sec said all right, let it go.” (Memorandum by Proctor, marked “(one sided)”, of telephone call to Goodpaster, December 1; Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, White House Telephone Conversations)

    Telegram 1378 from Djakarta, December 1, reported that Sukarno and members of his family had escaped uninjured the previous evening from an assassination attempt made by unidentified persons throwing grenades but that seven fatalities and numerous injuries had been reported. (Department of State, Central Files, 756D.11/12–157)

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  2. Telegram 1379 from Djakarta, December 1, requested that a message be sent from Eisenhower to Sukarno, either directly or through Allison, congratulating Sukarno on his safe escape and sending condolences on the decease of the victims of the assassination attempt. (Ibid.)↩
  3. In the source text, the word “satisfaction” was substituted for the word “congratulations”.↩
  4. Telegram 1382 from Djakarta, December 2, reported that Allison had been unable to see Sukarno personally but had delivered to the Director of the President’s Cabinet a letter from himself to Sukarno giving the substance of the message, but changing “and family” to “and children” to conform to the facts as he knew them. (Department of State, Central Files, 756D.11/12–257)↩