47. Editorial Note
On March 27 at the 360th meeting of the National Security Council, Allen Dulles opened his intelligence briefing with a discussion of developments in Indonesia:
“As requested by the President at the last Council meeting, the Director of Central Intelligence first presented a brief analysis of the topography of Sumatra. This was actually done by [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] of the Central Intelligence Agency. Thereafter Mr. Allen Dulles gave an account of the recent developments in the civil war in Indonesia. He provided estimates of the relative strength of the dissident forces and the Government forces, the former being well out-numbered. On the other hand, the Government forces are now moving into more difficult and mountainous terrain on the western side of the island. Their progress would be slowed up, and the major danger now facing the dissidents was an amphibious landing on the western coast of Sumatra, with the objective of capturing Padang. Mr. Dulles summarized the situation or the dissidents as not very happy. On the other hand, they have not yet shown signs of giving up. The dissidents were holding their own in the Celebes, and were planning to attack the air-field at Morotai if they could find the planes and the pilots.” (Memorandum of discussion by Gleason, March 28; Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records)