273

Ballard to Department of External Affairs

Cablegram 271 BATAVIA, 10 August 1947, 11.58 p.m.

IMMEDIATE SECRET

Your telegram 224. [1]

The American Consul-General informed the Republic Government by radio tonight that he intended to visit Djokjakarta tomorrow in an American plane if they advise he could land. The reply is expected later tonight. [2]

2. I subsequently saw him and without giving me details of his mission he indicated that he was going to tell them what the American conception of good offices was. The Republicans seemed to think that a party offering good offices became their Attorney. In his view, good offices cover a wide field including finding of facts, ascertaining the views of both parties and making recommendations. I gathered that he was going to put a concrete proposal of the American Government to them and can only assume that it will be on the above lines. He made some mention of it being ‘under’ the Security Council but was rather vague. You will have or be able to obtain fuller information on this aspect from Washington.

3. I reviewed with him what our objective was and how the procedure we had followed was designed to secure it. I asked if he had any reactions from the State Department on our offer and he said that he thought the United States would want to act alone. I said that in view of the Republic[an] acceptance of our offer it may well turn out that the United States and Australia would be acting together and I wanted him to have no doubt as to the wholeheartedness of our co-operation. He replied that if it did turn out that way he had no doubt ‘we would be one’.

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1 Document 271.

2 The reply was affirmative. Foote flew to Djokjakarta in a United States Navy aircraft in the morning of 11 August and returned to Batavia late in the evening of the same day.

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[AA:A1838/274, 854/10/4, ii]