Cablegram Hag 55 THE HAGUE, 15 April 1947, 9.40 p.m.
IMMEDIATE SECRET PERSONAL
Reference my immediately preceding telegram 54. [1] I have just returned from a weekend in the Ruhr and Limburg during which I was in touch with Landale by telephone.
2. You have to appreciate that the Netherlands Government is intensely jealous at the moment of any suggestion of diplomatic relations with the Indonesian Government (vide my telegram 46 [2]) and so the approach to Sjahrir referred to in paragraph 2 of your telegram 36 [3] was [certain] [4] to arouse both suspicion and hostility.
3. In the second place, their own discussions with Indonesians on economic matters are proceeding with the usual maddening deliberation and so they are very fearful of outside intervention.
4. Thirdly I am sure that the Minister for Foreign Affairs genuinely desires good relations with us and that was why he took the initiative reported in my telegram 50. [5] I hope I will be authorised to make a suitable reply.
5. A minor point is that the Dutch are incapable of quick action and a request for visas at less than twenty-four hours’ notice was certain to create difficulty. Also De Ranitz[’s] attitude reported in paragraphs 1 and 2 of your telegram 37 [6] does not seem to agree with reports he has sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here.
6. I urge again as I did in paragraph 4 of my telegram 50 that whenever possible we raise such matters informally here before steps are taken which commit us to any course of action. I am sure you will do everything to prevent the matter becoming public vide paragraph 3 of your telegram 38. [7]
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1 Document 33.
2 See Document 28, note 1.
3 See Document 29, note 2.
4 Amended by hand. The text originally read: ‘incontestable’.
5 Document 28 6 Document 29, note 2.
7 Document 30. The reference should be to paragraph 2.
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[AA:A1838/2, 401/1/3/2, i]