INDONESIA

This morning K.P.S. Menon showed me a telegram from Bedi outlining
a discussion of considerable interest which he had with you on
January 1st. [1] This was before invitations for the proposed
Asian Conference had been finally sent out.

2. Menon has asked me to say in reply to your observations to Bedi
that an Asian Conference was decided upon only after the Security
Council, to use his own words, had shown itself to be a broken
reed. In support of this he recalls earlier reaction to Thakin
Nu's proposal (see my telegram 509 [2]).

3. Menon also repeated that the Conference was not intended to
supersede the Security Council but to act in aid of it. He
requested me to convey to you his sincere hope that Australia will
participate, thus broadening the basis of the gathering which he
thinks should not in any sense represent an Asian bloc, but rather
a group of countries in the same region having a similarity of
ideals.

4. Menon informs us that no acceptances have yet been received but
we understand that interim acknowledgements have come in from
various Governments saying that they are considering the
invitation.

5. The holding of a conference at this stage probably owes much to
Nehru's genuine impatience with what is regarded as the poor
showing of the various countries on the Security Council.

Nevertheless, it might have been expected in dealing with other
Asian countries, where talk of solidarity can so often prove a
myth, that the Government of India would have made a more thorough
sounding of likely responses to her invitation at least before
making an announcement. As matters have turned out there is just a
faint risk of India facing an anti-climax which would follow any
inadequate attendance or any ineffective treatment of the issue
when the various countries come together. We do not say either of
these things will happen.

6. The Australian decision will be awaited in India with much
interest. Full participation is bound to be welcomed. Should we
decide upon only limited participation the manner in which the
decision is given will be not without importance. By the way,
illustration of an 'unofficial spokesman in Sydney' has already
been quoted here by Reuters as relating to the Indian proposal of
Asian Relations Conference which, in conception and status is
entirely different to that now proposed, while both the B.B.C. and
local press today and last night rather unhappily claim, evidently
on the basis of an agency report, that Australia before making any
decision would be consulting United Kingdom and United States both
of which countries are being criticised on account of their
attitude.