Cablegram 5 CANBERRA, 8 January 1947
SECRET
Your telegram No.1. [1]
The Netherlands Minister called this morning to enquire whether Australia had recognised Mr. C. H. Campbell as Trade Commissioner in Australia of the Republic of Indonesia. The Minister was informed that no request for Campbell’s recognition as such had been received.
2. Subsequently we received your B/57 of December 30th forwarding a copy of Sjahrir’s appointment of Campbell. [2]
3. Please advise what construction we are to place on the action of the Indonesian Department of External Affairs in handing you a copy of this appointment. We assume it was simply a representative action taken unilaterally by the Republic. [3]
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1 Dispatched on 4 January, it reported that Campbell had been appointed by Sjahrir as a temporary Trade Commissioner in Australia for the Republic of Indonesia.
2 The appointment had been made on 14 December 1946.
3 Ballard replied on 10 January that the assumption of unilateral action was correct.
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[AA:A4357/2, 48/259/1]