Cablegram 157 LONDON, 27 July 1947
SECRET PERSONAL
Your 197. [1] Indonesia.
I am very grateful to you for your message and can assure you that we will communicate with you as soon as we receive the United States reply. We fully understand the difficult position in which the Australian Government is placed and therefore appreciate all the more your readiness to suspend action for the moment.
As regards the question of association of Australia in any mediation or arbitration by the United Kingdom and the United States I am sure that it would be unwise to make a suggestion to the United States for the association of a third party while the nature of their response to our approach is still in the balance.
Admittedly the prospects of a favourable reply are at present not very bright. Should however the United States Government unexpectedly agree we would certainly consider discussing with them the possibility of Australia’s association and if they agreed to use our best endeavours to secure the acceptance of the Netherlands Government also. I feel bound however to say that I should expect the United States view to be that the association of Australia as a third party would be likely to prejudice such prospects as there may be of Dutch acceptance.
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1 Document 166.
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[AA:A1838/274, 854/10/4, i]