Cablegram 3518 LONDON, 2 October 1947, 7.30 p.m.
SECRET
My telegram No. 3433. [1]
I called on Sjahrir again on 2nd October. He said that unless something arose to stop him, he would leave here early next week for Delhi where he would spend a few days. Thereafter he would like to make a quick visit to Australia.
2. A few days ago Logemann (former minister for Territories) and Joekes, both members of Netherlands Labour Party called on Sjahrir and asked him to meet the Netherlands Prime Minister and another minister secretly somewhere in Europe outside Holland. They gave no precise purpose for the meeting except ‘exchange of views’.
Sjahrir replied that he would inform his Government but he could not see why discussions could not take place in Java. He suspects an attempt to divide him from the other Indonesian leaders and distrusts discussions away from Java as he had experienced too often satisfactory undertakings by the Netherlands Government which were completely ignored by the Military in Java. He is awaiting a reply from Djokjakarta which he expects will refuse to allow such a meeting unless the Dutch in Java have in the meantime made a proposal for discussion which would make it worthwhile.
3. Sjahrir has seen Bevin who suggested conversations between Sjahrir and Netherlands Ambassador might be useful but Sjahrir said that if the latter wished to call on him he would be glad but that he would take no steps.
4. Sjahrir mentioned incidentally that he thought the Committee of Three should not meet in Indonesia.
5. Sjahrir is to let me know early next week about his movements.
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1 Document 352.
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[AA:A1838/274, 854/10/4, iii]