Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XXIII, Southeast Asia

222. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (Wallner) to Secretary of State Rusk⁰

Washington, January 17, 1962.

SUBJECT

• West New Guinea: Ambassador Stevenson’s Call on U Thant

Governor Stevenson called on U Thant this morning pursuant to our instruction No. 1863. (Tab A)¹ Failing to get you on the telephone, he reached the President and gave him a full report. He then called me at 11:30 to relate the following:

He had found U Thant less alarmed than we were because he was less well-informed, having no direct reports from Djakarta, but his concern grew after Governor Stevenson read him Ambassador Jones’ reports (particularly the information contained in Djakarta’s 1241) (Tab B)² and relayed to him the views of the Australians, as conveyed to you yesterday by Ambassador Beale.³ These reports brought home to U Thant the danger of a succession of mutually retaliatory naval actions leading to generalized hostility and set the stage for Ambassador Stevenson’s presenting the specific proposals contained in our telegram sent last night.

U Thant received these proposals with great interest. Governor Stevenson is optimistic that he will adopt them and later today send appeals to both parties to designate representatives to discuss a solution with him (U Thant) and make this action public. Before deciding, however, U Thant felt he should have a talk with Subardjo, the Indonesian Representative in New York, and he is seeing him this morning.

U Thant told Stevenson that he was attempting to involve neighboring Asian countries in the process of preventing hostilities. He had already appealed to Nehru, but Nehru had declined to become involved because of the Goa incident. He planned to talk to the Filipinos, had noted the public appeal of Cambodia, but had discarded the idea of approaching the Tunku after a discussion with the Malayan Representative in New York.

In conclusion Ambassador Stevenson emphasized our responsibility in keeping U Thant promptly informed of the developing situation. He asked that significant reports reaching the Department be telephoned immediately to him so that they could be relayed without delay to U Thant.

We also understand that in the course of the above conversation U Thant was informed of our action yesterday in passing on to Ambassador Van RoijenSubandrio’s proposal that Sukarno make a statement on self-determination in return for Dutch agreement that the purpose of the talks was ways and means of transferring the administration of West New Guinea to Indonesia.⁴

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 656.9813/1–1762. Secret. Drafted by Wallner. Copies were sent to McGhee, Rice, and Tyler.
1. Not attached. In telegram 1863 to USUN, January 17, 12:43 a.m., the Department instructed the Mission to encourage U Thant to use the naval incident as a means of getting the U.N. representatives of the two sides to meet with him. This meeting should be made public. (Ibid., 656.9813/1–1662)
2. Not attached. Telegram 1241 from Djakarta, January 16, reported that Subandrio told Jones that the Dutch attack on Indonesian motorized patrol boats “means war” and that he “could do no more.” (Ibid.)
3. On January 17, Beale gave Rusk an aide-mémoire, January 16, stating that Australia was alarmed at Indonesia’s threats against the Dutch. The Australians did not believe Sukarno’s professions that he had no interest in Australian New Guinea. (Ibid., 656.9813/1–1762)
4. The démarche by Subandrio was reported in telegram 1212 from Djakarta, January 11. (Ibid., 656:9813/1–1162) The Indonesian proposal was passed to van Roijen by Cleveland on January 16. (Telegram 1861 to USUN, January 16; ibid., 656.9813/1–1662)