656.56D/7–2651: Telegram
The Ambassador in Indonesia (Cochran) to the Secretary of State
141. Supomo, ex-Justice Min, visited me the 25th. Said Indo Govt had thru acting HC Hague1 requested Neth Govt receive Supomo early August for discussion approach to reconsideration RTC agreement. Supomo heads Indo commission established to review RTC. Report presented to Parliament some weeks ago has not been published. Supomo with rank of envoy will be accompanied by perhaps 2 assistants and secy. He anticipates spending about 6 weeks in Neth.
Supomo was official responsible from Indo side for drafting union statute at RTC. He regrets necessity seek revision RTC agreement. He attributes this principally as psychological distaste of Indos for union particularly in light unfortunate developments such as Westerling affair, Macassar and Ambon.2 He hopes Neth Govt will be agreeable to substitution for RTC agreement of bilateral treaty between Neth and Indo. He will seek elimination unnecessary restrictions embodied in present agreement and endeavor get what he terms “businesslike” arrangement.
Supomo feels report of his comite has been moderate in tone and that approach he is now to make to Neth Govt shld not be offensive if Neth can reconcile itself to giving up union. Supomo convinced Indo will not continue as party to union. He and other leaders desire however to have any alteration of present arrangement achieved thru properly negotiated bilateral agreement. Since union conf is one of instruments of RTC agreement and union, Indos will request that conf to be held for consideration revision RTC be special conf and not union conf. Indos not particular where conf may be held.
Supomo anticipates sounding out Neth authorities on question Neth NG, he realizing serious problem between 2 countries will still remain even after negotiation bilateral treaty in place present arrangement unless solution for NG question found. Supomo will adhere to position taken by Natsir Govt, namely that Indo will discuss arrangements for sharing admin and development NG if Neth will admit sovereignty thereover is to pass to Indos. He said once sovereignty conceded, Indos wld be willing make most generous arrangements with Neth for partnership admin and development, including granting Neth subjects national rights of Indos. Supomo has no illusions about difficulty of this part his mission, complicated further by Australian attitude, but feels NG must inevitably pass to Indo and sooner this recognized by [Page 695] Neth sooner happy relations can be achieved on basis that will permit perpetuation.
I suggested Supomo keep in close contact with our common friend Lisle3 at Amer Emb Hague.4
Dept pass The Hague; sent Dept 141; rptd info The Hague 3.
- Dr. Djumhana, Indonesia’s Acting High Commissioner in the Netherlands.↩
- For documentation regarding these affairs, see Foreign Relations, 1950, vol. vi, pp. 990 ff.↩
- Raymond E. Lisle, Second Secretary, American Embassy in the Netherlands.↩
- In telegram 198 from Djakarta, August 7, Ambassador Cochran informed the Department of State that Professor Supomo, accompanied by Dr. Zain, planned to depart Djakarta for The Hague on August 14, to prepare the way for the special Netherlands–Indonesia conference to reconsider the RTC agreement (656.56D/8–751).↩