Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Indonesia, Volume XVII

201. Telegram From the Embassy in Indonesia to the Department of State⁰

Djakarta, May 21, 1959, 2 p.m.

3502. CINCPAC also for POLAD. For Robertson from Ambassador. As you are aware [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] Soviets laid on plush reception for Sukarno during his Russian visit¹ but nevertheless distinct coolness apparent between President and Khrushchev. This seems to me present US with opportunity to exploit by means of some warm personal gesture from US when Sukarno arrives Los Angeles.

Of course an informal invitation from President Eisenhower to spend a day at Camp David or Gettysburg would be the best possible means of accomplishing the objective of placing US-Indonesian relations on a close personal basis, which is the only basis which has much impact on Sukarno. At the same time it would play to his vanity, another essential in influencing him. Such tokens have more effect on Sukarno than more material fruits of friendship.

I recognize that time may be too short to arrange anything of this sort and might present precedent problems, but I can suggest two useful alternatives which would be for Vice President Nixon to visit California coincident with Sukarno’s stay, with an informal meeting to be arranged as a consequence. Sukarno is a staunch admirer of the Vice President and any courtesy from him would have considerable effect.

Another possibility which I urge to be done in any event would be for President Eisenhower to send a wire to Sukarno at the time of his arrival in Los Angeles, welcoming him to the country and expressing a wish for a pleasant stay there and in Honolulu.

No doubt Sukarno’s personal stock in Washington is at even a lower ebb than usual due to erratic performance during his trip. Nevertheless he continues to be the center of political gravity in Indonesia and we must hold his friendship if we are to achieve our objectives here, even if sometimes his visit be repugnant to us.

If, as seems possible, Sukarno arrives on American soil in a frame of mind antagonistic to the Soviet Union, the right human touch could do a great deal to nail down the improvement in US-Indonesian relations that already has taken place.²

Jones

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 756D.11/5–2159. Confidential; Priority. Also sent to CINCPAC.
1. Sukarno was in the Soviet Union May 7–12 as part of his world tour.
2. Telegram 2221 to Djakarta, May 29, explained that Nixon would be unable to visit California at the time of the Sukarno visit, but that Eisenhower had asked Secretary of Agriculture Ezra T. Benson to greet the Sukarno party upon the Indonesian President’s arrival in Los Angeles, and Benson had agreed. It also noted that Benson would deliver a personal letter of welcome from Eisenhower to Sukarno and outlined Sukarno’s schedule for his 3-day visit to Los Angeles. (Department of State, Central Files, 756.11/5–2159) See Supplement. The Department transmitted the next of Eisenhower’s May 30 letter to Sukarno to the Embassy in telegram 2242 to Djakarta, June 3. (Department of State, Central Files, 756D.11/6–359) See Supplement.