Cablegram 29 CANBERRA, 29 April 1948, 5 p.m.
IMMEDIATE SECRET
Netherlands Authorities in Australia have from time to time made representations to the Commonwealth Government to use its influence to bring about a lifting of the ban imposed by waterside workers on loading of supplies for Indonesia.
On 13th April, the Prime Minister wrote to Netherlands Minister suggesting that it was highly desirable that Netherlands and Indonesia Authorities should, if possible, make joint statement on the lines of the Gani-Hoogstraten Agreement of May 1947, under which both parties agreed that goods shipped from Australia to Indonesia would be suitably distributed between areas under Netherlands and Republican control. [1]
Government has since received no indication that Netherlands authorities are prepared to consider such an arrangement. [2] Please take matter up urgently with Netherlands Government and point out to them that Prime Minister has taken this initiative in the hope that Dutch would respond in a manner that might help towards restoration of trade between Australia and Indonesia.
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1 Document 112.
2 See note 3 to Document 112.
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[AA:A1838, 401/4/4/1, v]