Schlesinger Corrects Report

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

It has come to my attention that the CRIMSON on March 14 reported me as having said at the Liberal Union meeting the night before that "the United States should not force Holland to set Indonesia free because that colony provides many commodities vital to European recovery."

I need hardly say that I said nothing of the kind. Both in my talk before the Liberal Union and on other occasions I have urged that the United States bring the strongest diplomatic pressure on the Netherlands to do what can be done to repair the consequences of the outrageous and inexcusable Dutch policy in Indonesin. When some one asked why we had not cut off Marshall Plan aid to the Dutch, I did point out that this time a decision which the United States could not properly take unilaterally; that such a step could be taken only with the consent of the Marshall Plan countries, relying upon Dutch contributions to general European recovery and numbering among themselves several colonial powers, would favor this action. The question of Indonesia providing commodities vital to European recovery was never mentioned; obviously Indonesia could provide such commodities whether or not it was under Dutch control. Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. '38   Associate Professor of History