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Ballard to Department of External Affairs

Cablegram 202 BATAVIA, 29 June 1947

SECRET

Today Sunday the position seems a little less tense.

Secretary of Indonesian delegation, who brought the Indonesian reply to Batavia, has seen Van Mook and has followed up the reply with a verbal communication to the effect that Soekarno is not departing from Sjahrir’s line as manifested in his post-broadcast correspondence. Thus Dutch view as to position of Crown representative in interim government remains satisfied. Foreign relations and gendarmerie question were also discussed, and there is at least a prospect that latter question may be left open for later settlement in detail.

Secretary is returning to Djokjakarta this afternoon with a request from Van Mook seeking clarification on 3 issues mentioned, and expects to return Wednesday or Thursday.

Speaking of the Indonesian internal political situation he said he thought that Soekarno’s action meant that he felt strong enough to override the left wing parties, and that there were already indications that those parties were seeking a face-saving way of following Soekarno.

The purport of the expected message from The Hague to the Palace is not known, but [it] is a fair inference that it has at least kept the door open for a while.

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