Cablegram K239 BATAVIA, 6 January 1949, 12.20 p.m.
CONFIDENTIAL
As arranged. (Paragraph 1 (a) of K.237 [1]) the Committee’s Military Representatives met January 4th with a representative of the Chief of General Staff. No progress was made towards arrangements for the return of the military observers to the field as the Dutch representative had no authority, and insisted that before such arrangements could be made, the matter would have to be referred to the Commander in Chief and the Chief of Staff, both of whom were out of Batavia at the time. The Dutch representative also indicated that the observers would not be permitted to go into the field until it was clearly decided whether they were responsible to the Committee or to the Consular Commission.
This is a clear demonstration of the Netherlands delaying tactics and cannot be reconciled with Van Royen’s statements to the Security Council on 27th December and 29th December that the Military observers could again be despatched to the field.
Committee will write a further strong letter to the Dutch on this matter, and the subject will be fully dealt with in our report to the Security Council (see paragraph 2, K.237).
_
1 Document 30.
_
[AA : A1838, 403/3/1/1, xx]