Cablegram 179 BATAVIA, 21 July 1948
TOP SECRET
Aneta reports to-day that a resolution from the Bandoeng Conference was submitted Lt. Governor General 17th July. The Resolution is reported to propose:-
(a) a three-man directorate of Indonesians is to be established with presidential powers, (b) a High Commissariat as representative of the sovereign Netherlands government is to be established, (c) the executive organ in Indonesia should be a collegiate of State Secretaries in a different composition from the present Provisional Federal Government of state secretaries, in so far that more Indonesians should be appointed therein.
(d) a Senate should be established consisting of the leaders of the component parts of the future United States of Indonesia.
2. The report continues that this resolution will also be brought to the attention of the Republican government at Jogjakarta, presumably after the signatories have been informed of the comments of the Provisional Federal Government. As has been previously reported, the deputation which visited Doctor van Mook, requested him to pass the resolution on the Netherlands government at The Hague. [1]
3. However during recent visit to Ambon I stayed on route at Makassar with Dutch Commissioner and met on different occasions President, Prime Minister and Secretary General for Home Affairs East Indonesia. Secretary General a leftist Dutchman had just returned from Bandoeng Conference with Prime Minister and in informal conversation with Commissioner and self on 18th July said that Van Mook plan for new Interim Government was not accepted by Conference and would be held up and not be sent to Holland. New proposals now had been made by Conference which unofficially had been agreed to by Republic and would be taken to Jogja officially before submitting to Lt. Governor General.
4. Determined efforts by Indonesians themselves to settle Republican dispute also obvious from my unofficial talk with Prime Minister. Secretary General considers latest move is good but is still not optimistic of final result. Unable to ascertain details of new proposals but further details of my visit follows airmail.
5. Am endeavouring to check actual position.
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1 See Document 205.
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[AA:A4357/2, 48/254, v]