Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949, The Far East and Australasia, Volume VII, Part 1

501.BC Indonesia/6–949: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Netherlands (Baruch) to the Secretary of State ¹

confidential

The Hague, June 9, 1949—5 p. m.

491. Deptel 491, June 8.² Numerous conversations with Foreign Office officials re Hague Conference have made it plain to us that the Dutch contemplate conference under Netherlands auspices and chairmanship. We cannot see them entertaining idea of any other procedure. Their reasoning is clearly that Netherlands sovereignty over Indonesia is still intact, that it is they, the Dutch, who are to hand over part of this sovereignty, that it is the Dutch Government which automatically plays the host in the capital and that the principals of Netherlands Delegation will be the Netherlands Cabinet.

We believe, therefore, that any proposals of conference being held under other auspices or of rotating chairmanship would probably be flatly turned down by Netherlands Government with full approval Dutch public. We hope, therefore, that conference will not be jeopardized by any such suggestion.

Baruch

1. Repeated in telegram 322, Usgoc 380, June 10, 8 p. m., to Batavia.
2. See supra, and footnote 1, p. 418.