320/7–2654: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Netherlands (Matthews) to the Department of State
144. While certainly fact Van Kleffens is a distinguished and outstanding Dutchman plays important role in bitter Dutch resentment [Page 566] over our failure to support him for presidency Ninth GA, this is not the basic cause such resentment. From my talk with Luns and conversations other high Dutch officials who have raised matter with me basic cause of disillusionment is conviction that US is willing to disregard views European partners and to underestimate completely importance of Europe in world picture today. They believe support of third Asian president means that US, in what Dutch consider are desperate, vacillating and sometimes contradictory efforts to “hold on uncertain Asia” is ignoring and sacrificing the common heritage and dependability of allies who joined together in the Atlantic community. This belief is greatly strengthened by their belief we encouraged candidacy of Van Kleffens tacitly and otherwise before springing “bomb shell” our support of Prince Wan. Latter they believe to be a sudden and panicky reversal of our previous position and therefore further “evidence” of “instability of American leadership”.
The more we lobby for Prince Wan or if we endeavor to upset commitments for Van Kleffens which Dutch feel they have obtained from other countries (seventeen formal and substantial number of probables they say they have) the deeper will grow this feeling.
For this reason I fully concur with Deptel 122 that to suggest Van Kleffens for presidency of committee one at this juncture would be decidedly unwise and counter-productive.