Americans Accused Of Attempting to Exert Undue Pressure on Indonesia

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26545, 21 August 1947, Page 7

Americans Accused Of Attempting to Exert Undue Pressure on Indonesia

Rec. 11 p.m. NEW YORK, Aug. 20. The Security Council to-day resumed its debate on Indonesia. Mr Gromyko (Russia) urged the council to create a commission to investigate and arbitrate the Dutch-Indonesian conflict. He charged the United States with attempting to “force its good offices on Indonesia and that it was showing disregard of the Indonesian people. “ This persistent offering of good offices is difficult to understand after the Indonesian Government had asked the Council to create its own commission for arbitration and investigation,” he said, and declared that such American attempts could be viewed only as “-an undesirable and dangerous attempt to the United Nations.”

Replying to the Netherlands objections, Mr Gromyko said: “The Indonesian Government relies on the Security Council and expects help from it. whereas the Netherlands Government acts as if this organisation did not exist.” Mr Gromyko said the American manoeuvre seemed a strange one coming, as it did, after India and Australia had tossed the Indonesian questions into the Security Council. Mr Gromyko renewed his. demands that troops on both sides resume the positions held when hostilities broke out on July 21. Mr Herschel Johnson (United States) denied that the American Government exerted any pressure on the Indonesians. He said: “ The Indonesian Government has only to say that our offer is not acceptable and that will end the matter.” The United States would support the Chinese proposal that the Securitv Council accent the

Dutch plan for a single impartial State to investigate conditions in Indonesia and supervise the results of cease fire orders, the first step of which would be an on-the-spot report by Consuls stationed in Batavia. Dr Sjahrir, on behalf of the Indonesian Republic, declared that Indonesia is not immediately accepting the United States offer, and in asking for Security Council action was expressing lack of faith, not in the honesty arid goodwill of the United States, but in the honesty and goodwill of the Dutch Government. The council adjourned the debate until August 22. The State Department announced that the United States considered its offer of “ good offices ” to have lapsed because the Indonesian Republic insisted on attaching conditions to its acceptance. A State Department spokesman, however, added that the lapse did not end United States concern in the matter. The United States would continue to endeavour to be helpful in achieving a peaceful settlement. • , In Batavia, the Republican Government to-night sent another message to the Security Council saying that it could not accept the Dutch proposals for settling the Indonesian dispute.