December 23, 1949
Subject: Indonesia
Participants: The Secretary The Ambassador of the Netherlands, Mr. van Kleffens, Mr. Scott, EUR
Copies to: EUR; WE; FE; PSA; UNA; UNP; G - Mr. Rusk
Ambassador van Kleffens called on me at 2:30 this afternoon to leave the attached note which announces ratification by the Netherlands and by Indonesia of the agreements signed on November 2 at the conclusion of the Round Table Conference at The Hague. The note concludes with an expression of hope by the Netherlands Government that the United States will recognize the Republic of the United States of Indonesia after sovereignty is transferred to it in a ceremony at Amsterdam on December 27.
I told the Ambassador that all of us welcomed this news and that we thought those who had been responsible for bringing about the settlement reached at The Hague had shown wisdom and statesmanship. On the question of recognition, I told him it was the President's intention to recognize the new state shortly after the transfer of sovereignty had actually taken place. I also mentioned that the President was also planning to send Queen Juliana a personal message of congratulations.
The Ambassador raised the question of the future role of the United Nations Commission for Indonesia. He said that there was much for it to do in the coming months in assisting in the implementation of The Hague agreements. Of particular importance would be the matter of assuring protection of minority interests, such as the Chinese, and of observing elections. He thought that if UNCFI were to succeed in carrying out the difficult task ahead of it, it would be necessary that each of the three representatives on the Commission be able to speak authoritatively for his Government. He added that Mr. Herremans would continue to be the Belgian representative. In response to a question he said that he understood that the new Australian Government would find a replacement for Mr. Critchley.
I told Ambassador van Kleffens that we had recommended that the President appoint Mr. Dow as our representative on UNCFI but, in view of the significance attached by the Netherlands Government to the continuing role of UNCFI in Indonesia, that we would review the matter.
EUR:JWScott:mdm