Cablegram 2 BATAVIA, 16 February 1946, 1.35 a.m.
MOST IMMEDIATE SECRET
I have seen signals passing between the Prime Minister and SACSEA [1] and I understand that Sir Archibald has cabled His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom informing them of the circumstances and asking them to pass a request from him to the Commonwealth Government to delay embarkation of these Indonesians at least until the first week in March.
2. Soekarno is away on a press tour at present and will not return to Djocka [2] until 18th February. Sjahrir is, therefore, remaining in Batavia and will go to Djocka when Soekarno returns.
The proposals [3] have been extremely well received in Batavia.
3. No objection has been raised to the appointment of a GovernorGeneral and it is thought that the Dutch will be prepared to make the first appointment an Indonesian.
The Indonesians are anxious to have a parallel relationship to Holland as Australia has to the United Kingdom and in this connection it is thought that negotiations would be facilitated if the term ‘Commonwealth of Indonesia’ were used.
4. There are suggestions here that a more intensive commercial development of outer provinces will take place as a result of the situation in Java. By outer provinces Borneo, Celebes and the Moluccas, are particularly in mind and Macassar is suggested as the centre.
I will endeavour to find out more on this subject and inform you accordingly.
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1 See Document 90.
2 Djocjakarta.
3 See Document 74, note 3.
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[AA:A1838/2, 401/3/6/1/5]