Cablegram 53 RIO DE JANEIRO, 31 July 1947, 4.41 p.m.
IMMEDIATE SECRET
Further to your telegram 35. [1] Foreign Office has communicated with the Brazilian Delegate to the United Nations and requested him to immediately confer with the Australian Delegate and to go over with him all the main points in the case being adduced by Australia. The Brazilian Delegate has also been requested to confer with the Colombia Delegate. The Brazilian Government is completely in sympathy with the Australian objective. The only doubts in the mind of the Brazilian Foreign Minister are as to the status of the Indonesian Republic before the United Nations and as to whether the Indonesian Republic has ratified the Cheribon Agreement, certain clauses of which provide the means of arbitration mentioned in your telegram. On these points the Brazilian Delegate has been asked to seek urgent clarification with the Australian Delegate and to report back immediately to the Foreign Minister here. Reply is expected today or tomorrow. I have underlined the overshadowing significance of Article 39 of the Charter. The Minister fears however that Australian initiative before the Security Council might be ineffective in lacking sound legal basis due to indefinite status of Indonesia and it is in this respect particularly that he desires to be advised as to the Australian point of view. Foreign Office has promised to advise me immediately reply is received from New York. Have you any further instructions?
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1 See Document 190, note 2. See also Document 208.
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[AA:A1838/274, 854/10/4, ii]