Cablegram 154 CANBERRA, 19 June 1947
MOST IMMEDIATE SECRET
1. Please report action taken in respect of personal message to Sjahrir. [1]
2. Please follow up and inform Sjahrir that we have heard that it is intended by some other powers to offer their good offices [2] and we would be pleased in any such attempt at conciliation to assume an active part.
3. Van Mook should not be informed of this specific offer but should be informed that, if any good could be served, we would be glad to participate in any attempt at conciliation in relation to the present dispute with the Indonesian Republic. We are pleased that the immediate problem on shipping from Australia is being solved. So much has been achieved by his patient negotiations that, in our view, it would be unthinkable to allow negotiations to terminate over questions such as the amalgamation of a police force which can most easily be done once an interim government has been set up and mutual confidence between the two parties has been re-established. Our relationships with certain of the Republican Representatives are friendly and cordial and we believe we could make a positive contribution to an ultimate solution if we could be assured that the Dutch authorities will continue to endeavour to find a peaceful settlement and failing that will seek arbitration in the spirit of the United Nations Charter.
_
1 Document 84.
2 See Document 88.
_
[AA:A1838/283, 403/3/1/1, vii]