Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson and the Ambassador of the Netherlands

240 SIS DEPARTMENT OF STATE 0038 Memorandum of Conversation corf DATE: August 12, 1949 THOUGH SUBJECT: ARCHIVES AND Netherlands-US Relations 'NATIONAL RECORDS 233 SERVICE" PARTICIPANTS: The Secretary Mr. van Kleffens, Ambassador of The Netherlands COPIES TO: s/s, EUR, FE, UNA, G, Batavia and The Hague 1-1492 Mr. van kleffens called and delivered the Netherlands instrument of ratification of the North Atlantic Pact. Mr. van Kleffens then stated that before his de- parture on a brief visit to Holland tomorrow, he wished to tell me of certain factors which had contributed in the past, and some of which are now contributing, to a deterioration of the general feeling of good will which the Netherlands people have traditionally had for the US. These were divided into two classes--those arising from our military occupation of Germany and those arising from the Indonesian problem and the part we have played in it. The Ambassador stated that while the Netherlands Government and people were deeply grateful for Marshall Plan aid, they were in some measure resent- ful of measures affecting their interests which the US Government had taken in Germany and in Indonesia. Among the complaints which he listed regarding Germany were the following: Measures taken by the British and the US occupation authorities prohibiting the free access of Wetherlanders to their properties in Germany, and measures prohibiting the re-investment by them of earnings from such properties; measures affecting the reorganization of German corporations DECLASSIFIED E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (E) to the Dept. of State letter, Aug. 7.23.75 9,-9973 By NLT- He NARS Date 2376