Cablegram K129 KALIURANG, 8 June 1948
SECRET
Representatives of the Republican delegation say informally they would welcome U.N.’s trusteeship of the Republic but they seem more concerned with the possibility of Committee suggestions for an overall political settlement.
2. The present situation is tense. Americans and ourselves are in agreement on the necessity of urgent action by the Committee and in particular are solid in the need for submitting an overall plan. This course is being delayed by Herremans who is playing the Dutch game and who is making use of Van Mook’s letter (see my K.
127 [1]). He claims the situation is not urgent.
3. Tomorrow evening, Wednesday, (the earliest Herremans will meet) we shall continue informal discussions of the plan and make the final effort to obtain Belgian support. There appears no prospect of agreement. We shall therefore probably make our positions formal with every likelihood that the plan will be presented on Thursday as coming from the Americans and Australians.
4. Republican replies to Dutch aide memoire regarding Russian recognition of the Republic (my K.126 [2]) and Van Mook’s invitation to Hatta will be taken personally by Roem to Batavia on Thursday. The Republic will stand by its position that it does not intend to extend its foreign relations at present. Hatta will probably agree to confer with Van Mook informally at any time but oppose any suggestion of by-passing the Committee.
5. Fear of a further police action is widespread in the Republic.
An injunction from the Security Council would be extremely valuable. I intend to raise this issue in the Committee when the report of the military observers is available (see my K. 124 [3]).
_
1 Document 168.
2 Document 163.
3 Document 161.
_
[AA:A4357/2, 48/254, iii]