Letter CANBERRA, 5 April 1944
With reference to your letter of 8th March enclosing an Aide Memoire on the establishment of a Netherlands Indies Government Organisation in Australia [1], I am glad to inform you that the Australian Government welcomes the proposal to appoint and establish for the time being in Australia a Lieutenant-Governor- General of the Netherlands Indies and a Council of Heads of Departments.
I note that this organisation will not affect in any way the relations between the Netherlands and Australian Governments, and that the Minister for the Netherlands [2] will continue to be the accredited representative of Her Majesty Queen Wilhelmina. in respect of the Netherlands and its overseas territories in the East and West Indies.
The Australian authorities will be glad to extend to the Lieutenant Governor-General [3] and his Council all appropriate courtesies and facilities. May I add that I have every desire that both during the period of the domicile of the Lieutenant-Governor- General and his Council in this country and after the expulsion of the enemy from the Netherlands Indies, there should be close co- operation between our two Governments, more especially in regard to the future security and welfare of the peoples of the region in which we share so many common interests and responsibilities.
H. V. E.
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1 On file AA:A989, 43-44/600/5/1/5.
2 Baron F. C. van Aerssen.
3 Dr H. J. van Mook.
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[AA:A989, 43/735/306/1]