Cablegram UN87 NEW YORK, 3 February 1949, 6.39 p.m.
INDONESIA
Your 75 [1] and our 81. [2]
1. United States are issuing a denial of rumours that they have asked the new commission to go slow on the implementation of the Council resolution [3] to give the Dutch time. They have no intention of delaying to allow of time for alternate proposals. It does however seem that the Dutch may be planning to by-pass the Council’s wishes by proceeding without negotiation and omitting interim stages to the establishment of the U.S.I. The United States Delegation here does not believe such precipitate action likely but republican representatives claim to have confirmation of Dutch intentions from The Hague and London.
2. Cochran now leaves tomorrow to see Spaak in Brussels and Drees at The Hague. It seems most unwise for him to go to The Hague, as if the Dutch should make some spectacular move while he is there he would clearly be implicated whether rightly or wrongly. We pointed this out to the United States Delegation but their confidence in Dutch intentions rules out any chance of their giving this aspect much thought.
3. Cochran himself however is disturbed at the prospect for the future. He expressed this concern when he saw Palar this morning.
The Indonesians have stated that, should the Dutch ignore the Council, guerilla warfare can be expected for years.
4. The way things are developing seems to us to be really serious.
If the Dutch persist with their unilateral approach, despite all the warnings of International concern, the Council is going to be faced at a very early date with a position which is both critical and entirely new.
5. United Kingdom Delegation has nothing except what has been in the press. They do however not rule out the possibility that the Dutch may try the manoeuvre of asking the Council to hear the Federalist Representative before they do anything further.
6. Nothing has been received from the Commission since notification yesterday that the Commission had on 2nd February addressed a letter [4] to the Acting Chairman of the Netherlands Delegation asking for information at the earliest possible date concerning the attitude of Netherlands Government toward Security Council resolution of 28th January.
7. The Commission pointed out that the resolution requires that unless the parties have reached agreement on an Interim Federal Government by 15th February the Commission must report to the Security Council and make recommendations for a solution.
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1 Document 186.
2 See note 3 to Document 178.
3 Document 168.
4 The text of this letter, No. UNCI/238, is given in United Nations, Security Council Official Records, Fourth Year, Supplement for March, p.20.
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[AA : A1838, 403/3/1/1, xxi]