Cablegram D534 LONDON, 17 June 1947, 9.54 p.m.
SECRET
My telegram 14th June D No. 525, Paragraph 5. [1]
INDONESIA
The Commissioner-General (Professor Schermerhorn) has informed the United Kingdom Consul-General, Batavia, that he has now reluctantly come round to the view held by the other Dutch officials at Batavia and The Hague that the Republic’s reply is unacceptable and that no practical course remains but a limited use of force.
2. Seeing that the Netherlands Government were due on 16th June to receive and consider in Cabinet their Commission-General’s report, we again strongly impressed upon the Dutch through the United Kingdom Ambassador at The Hague that the use of force would be deplorable and certain to cause strong public feeling in the United Kingdom that an agreed solution does not appear impossible and that we advise them at once to hold a round-table Conference in Java. We have instructed the United Kingdom Ambassador Washington to approach Mr. Marshall and enquire if the United States would be prepared to join with us in privately making a joint offer of good offices to the Netherlands Government and the Indonesian Republic in an endeavour to bring the parties round a table.
3. The United States Consul-General at Batavia (see my telegram 9th June D.511 [2] Paragraph 2) did not visit Djokjakarta as his instructions did not arrive before the Indonesian reply was sent.
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1 Paragraph 5 of cablegram D525 advised that Schermerhorn, returning from the Netherlands, had commented in Singapore that he was determined to avoid the use of force but that there could be no more long delays or protracted discussions with the Indonesians.
2 Document 79.
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[AA:A1838/283, 403/3/1/1, vii]