Office of the Historian

501.BC Indonesia/2–2849: Telegram

The Ambassador in Belgium (Kirk) to the Secretary of State 1

secret   us urgent
niact
Brussels, February 28, 1949—2 p. m.

285. Urtel 208, February 25. Explained carefully and in detail to Spaak late Saturday our position re Indonesian question with its repercussions on Benelux, and I at same time left him text SC resolution 28 January, having gone over its salient features. I emphasized essential points liberation political prisoners, restoration Republic as Government entity together with some seat of authority preferably Jogjakarta and inclusion UNCFI in round table meeting 12 March at Hague; I stressed our desire to have SC resolution complied with in letter and spirit.

At yesterday’s conference which included Drees, Stikker, Bech, Dupont, Spaak and other Belgians, Spaak said he hammered our position into Dutch with following results:

(a)
Dutch say political prisoners have been freed (which is confirmed by newspaper reports here, although Soekarno name not published here).
(b)
Dutch say their official communication to Cochran paragraph 4 transmits an invitation to “President to [of] the Republic and the chairman of the BFO” to appoint delegations to Hague conference which therefore is official and public acknowledgment by Dutch Government of existence of Republican Government.
(c)
Dutch say they agree Republican Government may establish its seat in Republican area of Sumatra and Dutch will afford full facilities communications et cetera.
(d)
Dutch say they cannot agree Jogjakarta as seat of Government since to do so would produce confusion and disaster. Spaak could not elaborate on this but said Dutch were obdurate that Jogjakarta was inadmissible.
(e)
UNCFI are invited and expected at Hague.

Spaak says this was best he could do and he was asked by Dutch [Page 277] Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to transmit foregoing to yon via me for your consideration and reaction.

Dutch felt Cochran’s influence on Indonesians was predominant and that if US could recommend acceptance these proposals through Cochran then Indonesians might be induced negotiate March 12 with some hope settlement.

Sent Department; repeated The Hague as 20.

Kirk
  1. Repeated in telegram 117, Usgoc 311, February 28, 7 p. m., to Batavia.↩