Cablegrams 124, 57 CANBERRA, 7 August 1949, 9 a.m.
IMMEDIATE CONFIDENTIAL
1. Australian Mission in New York are suggesting that it might be desirable for Security Council to review Indonesian question in the near future. There is a report in New York that the Dutch may be intending to postpone opening of round table conference until cease-fire is fully operative. Cutts believes it is unrealistic to expect that a cease-fire can be more than 60% complete for the first few weeks and that best that can be expected is about 80% effectiveness in, say, two months’ time. We have had no confirmation that the Dutch intend to insist on fully effective cease-fire before Hague conference can begin. If the report is true it would obviously create serious position calling for immediate consideration by the Security Council. New York mission points out that suitable opportunity for Security Council review would be created if U.N.C.I. were to furnish a report on the latest position and particularly on the cease-fire. Is the commission making such a report? For Hague only.
Glad of your comments on report referred to in pagraph 1, which reputedly originates from statement made in Netherlands Parliament on 4th August.
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[AA : A1838, 854/10/4/3, vi]