OFFER OF U.S. “FACILITIES”

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28543, 24 March 1958, Page 11

OFFER OF U.S. “FACILITIES”

Embassy Answer To Newspaper

(Rec. 9 p.m.) JAKARTA, March 22.

The United States disclosed today that it had offered “facilities” —in the form of United States paratroopers —to the Indonesian Government early in March, the American Associated Press reported. The news agency said that this offer had been made to ensure the protection of American lives and property at the United States oil centre at Pakanbaru. A spokesman of the American Embassy in Jakarta made the announcement after an Indonesian newspaper reported that a United States request for permission to drop paratroopers in the Pakanbaru area was turned down. The newspaper said that Indonesia assured the United States that Indonesia was able to safeguard the property and lives of all foreign citizens in Indonesia. Central Government forces took Pakanbaru from the rebels on March 12. and now control it. No American was injured and oil installations were not damaged. British United press also reported the Jakarta Embassy statement but made no mention of paratroopers. The agency quoted the Embassy as saying the United States offered - its “facilities if needed for the evacuation of United States staff in the Pakanbaru area, but the Indonesian Government provided positive assurances that United States lives and property would be protected. _ The British United Press reported that the left-wing Jakarta newspaper, “Bintang Timur” today accused the United States Secretary of State, Mr Dulles, of meeting Colonel Stimual, an Indonesian rebel leader, secretly in Formosa to arrange a supply of arms for the rebels. It said that Mr Dulles, who visited Formosa recently on his way from the South-east Asia Treaty Organisation conference in Manila, promised the Chinese Nationalist leader, Chiang Kaishek, increased United States aid if he supplied the rebels with arms.