January—May 1958: U.S. Concern Over the Political Orientation of Indonesia and the Regional Rebellions in Sumatra and Sulawesi


1. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to Secretary of State Dulles

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.56D/1–258. Top Secret. Drafted by John Gordon Mein. Prepared to brief Secretary Dulles for a meeting on Indonesia scheduled for later that day. A handwritten note on the source text indicates that Dulles saw the memorandum.


2. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 756D.00/1–658. Secret. Drafted on January 6 by Fisher Howe, Director of S/S. This meeting was held in the Secretary of State’s office.


3. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 756D.00/1–258. Confidential. Drafted by O’Sullivan.


6. Telegram From the Embassy in Indonesia to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 756D.56/1–758. Secret.


7. Telegram From the Embassy in Indonesia to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 123 Allison, John Moore. Confidential.


9. Letter From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Irwin)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 756D.5–MSP/12–2657. Top Secret. Drafted by Francis T. Underhill and cleared with Mein, C. Douglas Dillon, Robert Barnes, and J. Wesley Jones.


10. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to Acting Secretary of State Herter

Source: Eisenhower Library, Project Clean Up, Indonesia. Top Secret. Drafted by Mein and concurred in by Howard P. Jones, Cumming, and Reams. On February 3 Max V. Krebs, Special Assistant to Under Secretary Herter, transmitted the contingency paper to Cutler at the request of Herter. His note indicates that the paper was not circulated to all members of the NSC Planning Board but that it was available to the Defense and CIA representatives on the Special Working Group.


11. Memorandum by Director of Central Intelligence Dulles

Source: Eisenhower Library, Project Clean Up, Indonesia. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Distributed to the following officials: Eisenhower; John Foster Dulles; Cutler; Robertson; Cumming; Admiral Stump; Major General Robert A. Schow, Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Department of the Army; Rear Admiral Laurence H. Frost, USN, Assistant Chief of Naval Operations, Naval Intelligence; Brigadier General Richard Collins, USA, Deputy Director for Intelligence, Joint Staff; and Major General Millard Lewis, Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Department of the Air Force. The source text is Cutler’s copy; it was forwarded to him on January 31 by J.S. Earman.


12. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Jones) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Murphy)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 756D.00/2–658. Top Secret. Drafted by O’Sullivan on February 5.


14. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 656.56D/2–758. Confidential. Drafted by Turner C. Cameron, Officer in Charge of Swiss-Benelux Affairs, Office of Western European Affairs. C. Burke Elbrick briefed Dulles for this conversation in a February 6 memorandum. (Ibid., 656.56D13/2–658)


16. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Jones) to Acting Secretary of State Herter

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 656.56D13/2–1258. Confidential. Drafted by Robert H. Wenzel of SPA and sent through Arthur Richards.


17. Telegram From the Embassy in Indonesia to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 656.56D13/2–1258. Confidential; Niact. Repeated to Singapore.


19. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Indonesia

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 756D.56/2–458. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Francis Underhill, cleared with Murphy, and approved by Walter Robertson.


20. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 756D.56/2–2058. Secret. Drafted by Mein. Mein briefed Robertson for this meeting in a memorandum dated February 20. (Ibid., 611.56/2–2058)


21. Telegram From the Embassy in Indonesia to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 756D.00/2–2158. Secret; Priority.


22. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of State Dulles and Director of Central Intelligence Dulles

Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. No classification marking. Drafted by Phyllis D. Bernau, Dulles’ secretary.


23. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State (Herter) to Secretary of State Dulles

Source: Eisenhower Library, Herter Papers, Miscellaneous Memoranda. Secret.


24. Memorandum From Robert H. Johnson of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Cutler)

Source: Eisenhower Library, Project Clean Up, Indonesia. Top Secret; Special Handling.


25. Telegram From the Embassy in Indonesia to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.56D/2–2458. Secret; Limit Distribution.


27. Telegram From the Embassy in Indonesia to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 756D.00/2–2858. Confidential; Priority. Repeated to Singapore, Bangkok, and Manila.


29. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Indonesia

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 756D.00/3–658. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Underhill and Wenzel, cleared with Legal Advisor Becker, and approved by Robertson.