223. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kaysen) to the Special Assistant (Bundy)0
[Here follows item 1 on Berlin.]
2. Indonesia—The situation continues on the boil. The most important new element results from the President’s conversation with U Thant in New York on January 19th. The substance of this is shown in the Department’s 1890, USUN dated 20 January.1 It is not clear whether U Thant exaggerated with the Dutch on what the President said to him or whether the Dutch delegate in New York misreported to The Hague. In any event, the result was to indicate more clearly to the Dutch what had [Page 510] not previously been done, our view of what must ultimately happen. There has been a great deal back and forth from New York and here which it has been difficult to summarize. At the present moment the Indonesians still seem to be insisting that the Dutch accept transfer of administration as a precondition to discussion in exchange for which they will promise internal “Papuan self-determination.” New York’s 2568 (January 27) to the Department gives a pretty good summary.2Van Roijen was called home to The Hague last night. There is one open matter. The Department has not yet responded to 1297 in from Djakarta3 (January 5) on holding up some spare parts shipment. Harriman and Rice feel strongly that it should go; Tyler equally strongly that it should not. McGhee is in Texas until Monday,4 and the matter is resting, with Rice’s agreement.
[Here follow items 3–13 on unrelated subjects.]
- Source: Kennedy Library, National Security. Files, Meetings and Memoranda Series, Staff Memos, Kaysen. Top Secret.↩
- Not found.↩
- Not printed. (Department of State, Central Files, 656.9813/1–2662) Telegram 2615 from USUN, January 31, also contains a summary of the negotiations based on a discussion between Yost and U Thant. (Ibid., 656.9813/1–3162)↩
- Dated January 24. (Ibid., 798.56/1–2562)↩
- February 5.↩