Cablegram Hag 99 THE HAGUE, 5 August 1948, 6.10 p.m.
SECRET
Indonesia. My telegram 86. [1]
I discussed the situation with the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs this morning in the light of my meeting last week with Dr.
Evatt [2] and my reading of the latest reports from Batavia at the Foreign Office.
2. I commenced by allaying any fear that Australia intended leaving Committee of Good Offices. I then urged that time seemed more than ripe for a real effort to reach a final settlement by means of several proposals now in existence.
3. Lovink assured me that as soon as the Government was formed (he hopes within 2 or 3 days) a real effort would be made. As the help of the Committee would be necessary he repeated again the plea that [Kirby] [3] should return for say 6 or 8 weeks.
4. I undertook to pass on his request and support it in the belief that there is a real hope of success. But I warned him that it may be impossible to spare Kirby.
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1 Document 210.
2 Evatt had left Sydney by air on 22 July to represent Australia at conferences of the Economic and Social Council and General Assembly of the United Nations. Officer was in London from 23 July to 4 August. No record of the London discussion between Officer and Evatt has been found.
3 Corrected from a copy on file AA:A8108/2, 280/1/48, i.
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[AA:A1838, 403/3/1/1, xviii]