Cablegram 100 BATAVIA, 28 April 1948, 12 noon
IMPORTANT TOP SECRET
I refer to the British Broadcasting Corporation report of the conference to take place in London of the Defence Ministers of England and the coalition of European countries. [1] In order to avoid well known difficulties of liaison, co-operation, confusion which was so evident and existed in spite of the Australian efforts up to and during the opening stages of the last war regarding mutual defence of the Netherlands East Indies and Australia, I suggest that consideration, of the necessity for active Australian defence co-operation with the future United States of Indonesia on account of the geographical and economic position for both world peace and defence be brought forward to the conference as a special point, particularly as regards the future political sovereignty status of Indonesia and Dutch home defence requirements in Europe.
_
1 A reference to a meeting on 30 April between the Defence Ministers and the Chiefs of Staff of the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. This meeting examined common defence problems within the scope of the Treaty of Economic, Social and Cultural Collaboration and Collective Self- Defence signed in Brussels on 7 March.
_
[AA:A1838, 401/3/1, v]