154. Memorandum of Conversation0
Mr. Luns said his Government realized that the problems of West New Guinea and of Indonesia were perhaps not of first importance to the United States in the face of our many other worldwide problems and responsibilities. Nevertheless, they were very important to the Dutch.
He wanted to say first that the Netherlands would support our China policy in the exclusion of China from the UN. Also they would support our position as regards Taiwan and the offshore islands.
[Page 282]The Dutch felt that they had had a “raw deal” in the postwar period, particularly from the US. Some members of the Dutch Government constantly urged him to appeal to the UN Commission to reestablish the conditions that had been foreseen, but he knew that this, while legalistically sound, was practically impossible. The past could not be erased.
The Dutch recognize that this US Administration had no responsibility for what they regarded as the sins of the preceding. He did feel, however, that we had been lacking in that we had not sufficiently opposed the scandalous behavior of Indonesia in stealing Dutch property and repudiating even commercial debts. They were “gangsters”. We had taken a strong line with Iran when it seized the Abadan refinery. We had taken a strong line with Egypt when it seized the Suez Canal Company. But we had been indifferent in Indonesia. The Dutch were inclined to feel that our arms policy was unsound. It would not stop them from getting arms from the Soviet bloc. In some ways, the danger to West New Guinea was greatest if Indonesia was not Communist. There would then be less restraint because the Soviet Union would exercise a measure of restraint, and there would be less free world opposition.
I said that these matters could all be discussed in Washington.1 I did want to disabuse him of the idea that we did not consider the Indonesia-West New Guinea situation as important. We gave it high priority indeed. It was part of the whole problem of the West Pacific position and keeping the far shore of the Pacific in friendly hands. This was not only important to the free world but to the security of the United States.
I said there might be differences of opinion between us as to how to carry out our objectives, but the objectives were the same. Implementing these was difficult and there were differences of opinion within our own government. Therefore it was not surprising that there might be differences of opinion with the Dutch Government, but our basic propositions were united.
I said (with Ambassador Young being present) that I expected to state our China position in general terms which would equally apply to an attempt by Indonesia to seize West New Guinea by force.
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Memoranda of Conversation. Confidential. Drafted by Dulles. The meeting was held at the Waldorf Astoria. Dulles and Luns were in New York for the 13th regular session of the U.N. General Assembly, which opened September 16.↩
- Dulles met with Luns on September 30 in Washington and discussed West New Guinea and Indonesia. (Memorandum of conversation, September 30; Department of State, Central Files, 611.56D/9–3058) See Supplement.↩