Office of the Historian

51. Memorandum of Conversation0

Washington, April 4, 1958.

SUBJECT

  • Summary Discussion re Indonesia

PARTICIPANTS

  • The Secretary
  • Walter S. Robertson, Assistant Secretary of State
  • Sir Harold Caccia, British Ambassador
  • Lord Hood, British Minister

The British Ambassador came in at the request of Foreign Minister Lloyd to discuss the Indonesian situation and to see if their evaluation of developments corresponded with ours. [8 lines of source text not declassified]

The Secretary responded that while there was some conflict in our own intelligence reports, the UK view of the situation corresponded [Page 92] substantially with our own. In fact we were having a meeting on Monday1 to review and consider all aspects of the problem and determine what action is now indicated. He mentioned we were considering the advisability of an approach to Sukarno to see if it were possible to exact a satisfactory political settlement. We would express our concern at the continuation of the unsettling situation, advise him of our knowledge of the Communist bloc support being given the Indonesian Government, and that we could not be expected to stand by and passively watch Indonesia being taken over by the Communists.

It was agreed that we would consult again with Caccia after our meeting on Monday.2

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 656.56D13/4–458. Top Secret. Drafted by Robertson.↩
  2. April 7.↩
  3. According to Dulles’ Appointment Book, he met with Allen Dulles to discuss Indonesia at 2:35 p.m. on Monday, April 7. At 2:37 p.m. they were joined by Cabell, Ulmer, Irwin, Robertson, Herter, Mein, Reams, and Cumming. At 3:15 p.m. they were joined by Parsons and at 3:25 p.m. by Becker. At 5:40 p.m., Dulles met with British Ambassador Caccia; at 5:41 p.m, they were joined by Robertson. (Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Dulles Appointment Book, 1958–59) No record of these meetings has been found.↩