740.0011 Pacific War/1994A
The Under Secretary of State (Welles) to the President
Washington, January 5,
1942.
My Dear Mr. President: The Minister of
the Netherlands1 has just called to see me.
He has received instructions from his Government reprimanding him
severely because his Government was not afforded the opportunity
of passing upon the text of the statement given out by the White
House on Saturday regarding the joint command in the
Pacific.2
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He has received further instructions to inform you that his
Government approves in general lines secret document No. 1
(instructions to General Wavell), together with Annex 1 to that
document.3
His Government desires, however, to request modifications of
Annex 2 to that document.4 These
modifications are contained in the first of the documents
enclosed herewith.
With reference to the text of the “agreement” handed by you to
the Minister on December 29,5 the Minister has
received observations thereto from the Governor General of the
Netherlands East Indies under date of January 2. These
observations are likewise attached herewith.
The Minister has likewise received from the Commander-in-Chief of
the Netherlands naval forces certain information, together with
observations, concerning the activities of the American naval
forces under the command of Admiral Hart. The information and
observations are likewise enclosed herewith.
The Minister has likewise received from his Government in London
an instruction stating that the Netherlands Government requests
the United States to send troops to Curaçao under the same
conditions as the British troops which have previously been
defending the islands.6 In essence
this implies that the cost of our troops are to be borne by the
United States and that our troops are to be under the command of
the Dutch Government and military commander in the islands. The
Dutch Government will later communicate with you with regard to
the number of the American troops to be sent.
The Dutch Government likewise requests that when an announcement
is made by the White House covering the dispatch of our troops
to the Netherlands West Indies the statement make it clear that
the troops are to be there only temporarily and will be
withdrawn upon the conclusion of hostilities. The Dutch
Government is very anxious to avoid any implication of “an
occupation” by United States military forces. The Minister has
asked that he be informed twenty-four hours before any statement
is issued by the White House in order that he may have the
opportunity of explaining to American press correspondents the
nature of the assistance which we are giving the Dutch
Government in the Netherlands Indies and why the term
“occupation” should not be used by the press.
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The Minister has asked me to request that you receive him at your
earliest convenience in order that he may be advised by you of
your decisions with regard to the various questions raised by
his Government in the documents which I am transmitting
herewith.
May I let him know that the White House will inform him when you
are able to receive him?7
Believe me
Faithfully yours,
[Enclosure 1]
Amendments Proposed by the Netherlands
Government
The Netherlands Government in London requests the insertion
of the following additions in annex 2 of U.S. ABC/4/5:
- 1.
- par. 1 after the word “British” the words “and
Dutch”.
- 2.
- in same paragraph, after the words “Minister of
Defense”: “acting together on behalf of the ABDA
Governments”.
- 3.
- in par. 2 b, after the
words “in London”: “having consulted the Dutch
staff”.
- 4.
- in same paragraph, after the word
“representative”: “and the Dutch
representative”.
- 5.
- in par. 2 c after the word
“British”: “and Dutch”.
- 6.
- in par. 4 after the words “in the name of” replace
last 3 words or paragraph by the following:
“the ABDA
Governments and the respective Governments will be
informed”.
[Enclosure 2]
Netherlands Legation Memorandum
Washington,
January
5, 1942.
Information was received from the Commander in Chief of the
Netherlands Naval Forces, Admiral Helfrich, that important
Japanese forces and troopships are being gathered on the
south coast of Holo and Davao. Because of lack of sufficient
Netherlands fighter planes it is for the time being
impossible to attack these objectives with our bombers. Some
American fighting [flying?]
fortresses have arrived in Malang and Adm. Helfrich hopes
that they will as soon as possible participate in bombing
operations. The attitude of the American-Asiatic fleet
remained unchanged. Adm. Helfrich will urgently ask Adm.
Hart for more activity and to make a more intensive use of
American submarines operating from Sourabaya. At present an
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American
submarine tender is already located in Port Darwin as are
all American auxiliary vessels, some American submarines,
however, are now on their way to Sourabaya.
The greatest need is for fighter planes, anti-aircraft guns,
class A cruisers, aircraft carriers, not to speak of capital
ships. Admiral Helfrich is strongly convinced that more
success can be obtained even with the combined forces at
present in that area, if they could all be put under our own
command for offensive action.
Admiral H. expressed once more the hope that the American
authorities will fully realize that also for the general war
operations it is of the greatest importance that a strong
stand should be made, not only in the mainland (Java,
Sumatra, etc.) of the Netherlands Indies, but that also the
oilfields in Borneo and elsewhere should be strongly
defended considering that when these oilfields should be
lost the use of Australia as basis would encounter very
great difficulties in view of the fact that then all oil
supplies would have to be shipped to Australia via a long
and very hazardous searoute.
(These observations were made by Admiral Helfrich on January
third, 1942.)
[Enclosure 3]
Netherlands Legation Memorandum
Memorandum
The Governor General8 has raised
the following questions.
Why has a General been appointed supreme Commander and not an
Admiral[?] Does this mean that no important fleet including
battleships will be sent[?] Because if the latter would be
the case the fleet would come to the forefront. A large
fleet is of the greatest importance. The three most
important functions are being held by British and American
officers which is only comprehensible if the United States
and Great Britain have the intention to send considerable
armed forces of their own to this theatre of war. If they,
however, would not have such intention the geographical
situation and local knowledge of the theatre of war which to
a great extent lies within the boundaries of the Netherlands
Indies, would lead to expect that one of three commandants
[commands] would be given to a
Netherlands officer.
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The best line of action would be to make the supreme
commander responsible to an appropriate joint body in which
all participants are directly represented.
In view of the fact that the Netherlands Indies constitute a
very great part of the operational area in which the allied
forces are under the command of the supreme commander, the
Netherlands would desire to have a more direct part in the
command, whilst naturally the United States maintains the
exclusive command in the Pacific and Great Britain in the
Indian Ocean.
If the arrangements were made for a more extensive
operational area the Netherlands would be willing to content
itself with a less important part in the high command, but
in this arrangement which covers a restricted area it seems
that the local knowledge of Netherlands Indies commanders
has not been taken into account sufficiently.
It is not clear whether in point F operational control is
meant. The Netherlands would like this to be so as in this
way cooperation with local authorities would be easier.
In the Netherlands Indies the Governor General is the
Commander in Chief. However, it is not possible for the
Governor General to be under command of the Supreme
Commander. It is therefore suggested that in the place of
[“]Commander in Chief of the Netherlands Indies[”] should be
mentioned the “Commanders in Chief of the Netherlands Navy
and the Netherlands Indies Army.”
(These observations were made by the Governor General on
January second, 1942.)
