Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Southeast Asia, Volume XXII

96. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, May 6, 1955¹

Washington, May 6, 1955

SUBJECT

1)

Clarification Chou En-lai Statement

2)

New Guinea—Irian

3)

Offer of Good-Offices for Negotiations on Formosa

4)

Confidential Indonesian comment on Chou En-lai’s Intentions as to Negotiations

PARTICIPANTS

• The Secretary
• The Indonesian Ambassador, H.E. Mukarto Notowidigdo
• Assistant Secretary Robertson
• PSA—Mr. Philip E. Haring

1) Ambassador Mukarto reiterated Prime Minister Ali’s statement to Ambassador Cumming that his government intends to support only “the peaceful efforts” of the People’s Republic of China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity.² He expressed embarrassment that his Government had failed to spell out that its intention was limited to peaceful efforts but added he felt that everyone in the world realized that Indonesia itself had only peaceful intentions. The Secretary expressed appreciation for the clarification.

2) Ambassador Mukarto recalled that the Secretary on April 30 to him,³ and publicly on other occasions had expressed general agreement with the principles of the Bandung Conference. He asked if his Government might interpret this as US endorsement of negotiations between Indonesia and the Dutch on New Guinea inasmuch as the Conference urged “the Netherlands Government to reopen negotiations as soon as possible …⁴ and expressed the earnest hope that the UN could assist the parties concerned in finding a peaceful solution to the dispute”. The Secretary said that his previous statements did not extend to all of the specific subjects in the Conference communiqué and he could not immediately recall just what was said on Irian-New Guinea. He added that we had not recently reviewed our position on that issue but that we had maintained a policy of neutrality in the course of the last General Assembly. Mr. Robertsonadded that we had in fact reviewed our position within the past few days⁵ but had not referred the matter to the Secretary as it was felt that on this issue where two of our friends, the Netherlands and Indonesia, were concerned we could follow no better policy than that of being neutral between them. The Secretary commented on the efforts of the Dutch and other governments to bring us to modify our policy to favor them but said that we felt it was in our interest and the best course to remain neutral. The Ambassador expressed deep appreciation for the expression of the Secretary’s views and recalled that he had conveyed the appreciation of his Government after the last General Assembly as well.

[Here follows discussion pertaining to conversations at Bandung between Ali and Chou En-lai.]

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.56D/5–655. Secret. Drafted by Haring.
2. Ali made the statement in a conversation of May 2, when Cumming asked him to clarify the meaning of paragraph 4 of the Ali–Chou statement (see footnote 12, Document 94). (Telegram 2113 from Djakarta, May 2; Department of State, Central Files, 793.00/5–255)
3. In an April 30 conversation, Dulles had complimented Indonesia on the results of the Bandung Conference and asked Mukarto to clarify paragraph 4 of the Ali–Chou statement. (Memorandum of conversation by Haring, April 30; ibid., 670.901/4–3055)
4. Ellipsis in the source text.
5. The subject had been considered in connection with the preparation of NSC 5518 (supra) and a position paper on New Guinea for a NATO Ministerial meeting scheduled in Paris May 9–11. (NATO D–14/3a, May 6; Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 60 D 627, CF 446)