Cablegram UN718 NEW YORK, 2 August 1947, 12.25 p.m.
MOST IMMEDIATE SECRET
Security 422.
INDONESIA.
Your unnumbered 2nd August. [1] Follow up of Council resolution.
1. We are keeping in close touch with Secretariat and will advise immediately reply received from Netherlands or the Republic of Indonesia to telegrams sent last night communicating text of resolution.
2. United States Delegation here have no instructions on follow up. Assume you will be sending instructions to Embassy in Washington. Meanwhile Ambassador at our suggestion is enquiring from State Department what action is proposed to reinforce resolution and to give effect to United States offer of good offices which Netherlands accepted. We understand United States have not yet received reply from Indonesian Government to offer of good offices. It would seem desirable that this should be forthcoming as soon as possible.
3. Most important outstanding question is withdrawal of Netherlands forces. U.S.S.R. and Poland will almost certainly take early opportunity of pressing for immediate withdrawal to positions held on [2] August (our 716 [3] paragraph 10). United States on the other hand will strongly oppose any further debate on Indonesia until Greek question is settled. See our immediately following telegram. [4] This is even more important as from press reports it appears that Indonesians might not accept arbitration or mediation until Netherlands forces are back in original perimeters. Further it is possible that Indonesians might continue fighting which would in turn be exploited by the Dutch. Will be discussing this aspect this afternoon with Forsyth. Meanwhile consideration might be given to possibility of bringing home to Netherlands likelihood of further action by the Council calling for immediate and complete withdrawal. For example, United Kingdom might suggest to Netherlands Government voluntary withdrawal to agreed positions in order to strengthen hands of those who favour less extreme measures. These are of course very tentative views.
Would be grateful of any information available from The Hague regarding Netherlands Government’s [5] actions.
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1 Apparently cablegram 422 (Document 228), the only cablegram sent to the Delegation on 2 August.
2 A sign here indicates ‘mutilated’. The date should presumably be 20 July.
3 Document 226.
4 Not printed. For documents relating to Australian participation in the Commission of Investigation appointed by the security Council to examine Greek claims of border violations by Yugoslavia, and subsequent negotiations in New York, see Volume XII.
5 A sign here indicates ‘mutilated’.
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[AA:A1838/274, 854/10/4, ii]