Cablegram 110 CANBERRA, 23 December 1947
IMMEDIATE SECRET PERSONAL
Your K.25, K.26. [1]
Thank you for your comprehensive reporting of recent developments.
I have been in constant touch with Kirby who is contemplating returning to Batavia in next few days.
2. Pending Kirby’s return you should continue to pursue course outlined in your K.26, para 5. First objective must be to press for Dutch acceptance of truce plan. To this end it is important you should endeavour to persuade Graham and Van Zeeland to agree to immediate submission of plan to Security Council (my 404 [2]) together with summary of interim report. Deadline for submission should be Friday, 26th December, when we are instructing Hood (who is Chairman) to summon meeting of Council to discuss Indonesian question. Hood will be guided on terms of statement he is to make in the light of position as reported on 25th December. Published reports of proposed Netherlands action in West Java could serve as basis for statement which might cover points in Sjarifoeddin’s letter and if necessary incorporate recommendations on lines of your K.26 para 5 (a).
3. Effectiveness of any pressure we may be able to bring on Dutch through Security Council debates is necessarily limited to some extent by approaching termination of our membership of Council. We are nevertheless convinced that a stable settlement in Indonesia will not be assured until Indonesian nationalist aspirations are satisfied, and for this reason the Republican Government must be maintained as a going concern, even if acceptance of a cease fire and demilitarisation on the basis of the Van Mook line should become necessary. We should like Republican Government to know that. We shall continue to do all in our power to safeguard their position.
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1 Documents 481 and 482.
2 Dispatched on 22 December, it conveyed the substance of Document 480.
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[AA:A1838/283, 403/3/1/1, xiv]