740.0011 Pacific War/460
The British Embassy to the Department of State 84
undated
Copy of Telegram From the Foreign Office to the British Embassy in Washington, dated August 5th
The question of giving assurance to Netherlands Government has been under prolonged consideration here and has been the subject of frequent approaches by Netherlands Government, more particularly in relation to recommendations of Singapore Conference.
- 2.
- When I saw Netherlands Minister on August 1st however, I said that as a result of recent consideration of the whole Far Eastern situation, I was in a position to tell him that His Majesty’s Government deemed themselves already to have assumed the duty of safeguarding and restoring possessions and rights of the Netherlands to the best of their ability during the War and at peace. It followed therefore that an attack upon Netherlands East Indies would lead His Majesty’s Government to do the utmost in their power, though His Majesty’s Government must remain sole judge of what action or military measures were practicable and were likely to achieve common purpose. I added that of course much would depend on the attitude of the United States Government.
- 3.
- The Netherlands Minister expressed satisfaction that I had been able to speak in this sense, since our delay in giving any reply to Netherlands Government’s approaches has begun to cause anxiety, particularly to Governor General of the Netherlands East Indies, who perhaps did not understand as well as the Netherlands Government in London the difficulties of our position.
- Handed by the British Ambassador to the Secretary of State on August 9.↩