Office of the Historian

183. Telegram From the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific (Felt) to the Joint Chief s of Staff0

Honolulu, February 24, 1959, 5:11 p.m.

250311Z. Ref AmEmbassy The Hague telegram to State 1381.1 Am disturbed by repercussions which would result should State act favorably upon recommendation made in referenced msg. Limited U.S. military aid to Indonesia has been based on premise that it does not generate Indonesian military threat to Dutch position in New Guinea. It has been made clear to Indonesia that any military aid from us has the condition attached to it that it will be used for internal security purposes and not as means to settle militarily Indonesia-Dutch disputes over New Guinea. That Indonesia understands and accepts this position has been affirmed most recently by Foreign Minister Subandrio in Australia. For United States to assume that Dutch position New Guinea is thereby threatened and compensatory military aid be furnished Dutch to defend New Guinea would not only imply gross irresponsibility on our part by furnishing both antagonists with weapons to settle dispute militarily but would leave us open to Commie charge of providing military means to sow dissent.

If our military aid policy vis-à-vis Indonesia is designed to retrieve our position in Indonesia the whole purpose might be very largely neutralized by furnishing weapons to the Dutch for a non-existent need.

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Strongly recommend that this position be presented to State asking their non-concurrence with the Dutch request and Ambassador Young’s recommendation.2

  1. Source: Department of State, WE Files: Lot 63 D 106, Indonesia 1959. Secret. Repeated by the Department of State to The Hague and Djakarta as telegrams 1312 and 1590, respectively, on March 3. (Ibid., Central Files, 756D.5–MSP/2–2159)↩
  2. In telegram 1381, February 21, Young reported that Dutch Defense Minister Staf asked to buy four naval items for use in connection with West New Guinea defense. (Ibid.) See Supplement.↩
  3. Jones commented on this telegram in telegram 2736, March 5. (Department of State, Central Files, 756D.56/3–559) See Supplement.↩