Office of the Historian

217. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission at the United Nations1

Washington, October 6, 1960—10 p.m.

620. Following are highlights Sukarno’s call on President Eisenhower Oct. 6 based on unclear memorandum of conversation.2

1. President raised matter of five neutral power resolution and assured Sukarno he did not question motive of sponsoring nations and was in fact completely in accord with objective they were trying to serve. President attempted explain to Sukarno why gesture of meeting with Khrushchev was futile and in our view would be productive of further tension rather than lessening of it. President reviewed U2 incident and abortive summit conference and commented it obvious that Khrushchev was determined make as much propaganda as possible [Page 401] out of breakup in Paris. President remarked that accident of location of United Nations placed Khrushchev in U.S. but this fact had no practical bearing on their getting together. He concluded by assuring Sukarno it was only his firm conviction that nothing would be accomplished by any attempt to get together with Khrushchev which caused him to reject this idea. Sukarno noted that neutrals had of course withdrawn their resolution last night3 because they were not receptive to amendments suggested by Australia. However Sukarno maintained his viewpoint that President and Khrushchev should meet since he felt that such meeting would break the ice if it accomplished nothing else.

[Here follows discussion of Indonesian domestic affairs; the impending arrival in Indonesia of the Project Hope hospital ship; the prospect of Eisenhower’s visiting Indonesia; mention of topics not discussed; and comments on the administrative details of Sukarno’s visit.]

Dillon
  1. Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 59, Conference Files: FRC 83–0068, CF 1772. Secret; Priority. Received at 4:20 a.m., October 7. Sent also to Djakarta and repeated to The Hague.↩
  2. A copy is in Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199.↩
  3. Regarding the withdrawal of the draft resolution, see Document 215.↩