Cablegram 26 CANBERRA, 29 April 1946
SECRET
Please request the Commanding Officer, Allied Forces, Java (1) to convey to responsible Indonesian leaders in whatever way he thinks most suitable, and in the strongest possible terms the extremely grave view which the Commonwealth Government takes of the murder of Australians [1] and to call upon Indonesian leaders to bring the murderers to justice; and (2) to inform them that the Commonwealth Government cannot accept the description in the Vice Minister’s letter [2] of these wanton and abhorrent murders as an ‘unhappy incident’.
2. Your 41 paragraph 10. [3] Request the C.O. Allied Forces, to arrange for the most searching inquiry into these outrageous crimes, making full use of the services of Lieut Colonel Smith and the Australian War Crimes detachment.
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1 See Document 196.
2 See Document 204.
3 In paragraph 10, Brookes advised that he had intended to arrange a full enquiry and requested advice.
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[AA:A1838/2, 401/3/10/2, ii]