Letter BATAVIA, 3 October 1947
Your telegram regarding my movements [1] arrived last night, I feel you understand that there was no personal motive involved.
A mass of useful information was in draft yesterday and we worked all last night typing copies which have not yet even been officially received by the Consular Mission. They are not checked and in some cases only one copy is available, but with this information being sent down by Sq/Ldr. Spence, you have everything up to date.
My aeroplane leaves here at one o’clock for Singapore with Sq/Ldr.
Spence, and I have telegraphed Massey for immediate onward air transport to Sydney for Spence. With luck he should get there on Saturday, and I would be glad if you would please make arrangements to meet him on arrival and have him brought to where you wish. [This will be telegraphed.] [2]
Spoke to Schuurman this morning and he said that although the gesture of a Dutch official going to Australia had been appreciated, it was definitely decided that this should not happen until possibly after the Committee of Three meet. With regard to liaison officers between Djocja[carta] and Australia, Schuurman stated that the matter is now between Keith Officer and The Hague.
Obviously they do not want this.
I think you will find our report on Sumatra [3], the Australian Military report [4] and the draft submission for the joint report [5] interesting, but I think the questions and verbatim answers which we put to the Dutch and Indonesian officials [6] are of particular interest as it shows the idea and temper of each side.
The delay of the submission of the final report is disappointing and I cannot help but feel it means the end of any joint report in spirit. I believe it had been stated by Dr. Foote that he will submit a minority report in any case. This gentleman is very pro- Dutch and very anti-Republican, and the same applies to Vanderstichelen, the Belgian Consul-General. At this stage it seems that myself, the British and French Consuls-General will be in agreement and also probably the Chinese. However, the Chinese Consul-General has no particular interest except as regards the treatment of the Chinese. We had a chance if the report could have been completed as at first arranged, now it is going to be most difficult. I will endeavour to get reports submitted from time to time and will inform you as soon as sections are submitted and accepted by the mission.
The American attitude is not fully understood here, and the fact that their military observers are not reporting to the mission as a whole is disconcerting and I very much doubt if any conclusions they reach will be given to us by the American Consul-General.
They definitely will not take part in any military joint report which we are trying to get and this point now seems rather hopeless.
Dr. van Hoogstraten, the economic adviser, came to see me last night. I had met him when he was recently in Australia and going back to the Indies with Nicholson of the Commonwealth Bank. He told me that he is off to Holland and America and I gathered that he was hoping for some commercial agreement between the Indies and America. It might be worthwhile watching this.
Another point, the British and myself have officially brought before the mission that we should, if at all possible, make firm recommendations when all our final reports are submitted. I think the others will follow in line, but doubt whether unanimity in recommendations will be possible with the American and the Belgian.
[matter omitted]
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1 Document 361.
2 The words in square brackets were added by hand.
3 Not printed. See United Nations, Security Council Official Records, Second Year, Special Supplement No.4, pp.52-67.
4 Document 360.
5 Not located.
6 This is possibly a reference to records of the Consular Commission’s meetings with Sjarifuddin on 26 September and with Spoor and van Hoogstraten on 29 September. The records of these meetings are given in United Nations, Security Council Official Records, Second Year, Special Supplement No.4, pp.71-129.
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[AA:A4355/2, 7/1/7/3]