221 Officer to Department of External Affairs
Cablegram Hag 99 THE HAGUE, 5 August 1948, 6.10 p.m.
SECRET
Indonesia. My telegram 86. [1]
I discussed the situation with the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs this morning in the light of my meeting last week with Dr.
Evatt [2] and my reading of the latest reports from Batavia at the Foreign Office.
2. I commenced by allaying any fear that Australia intended leaving Committee of Good Offices. I then urged that time seemed more than ripe for a real effort to reach a final settlement by means of several proposals now in existence.
3. Lovink assured me that as soon as the Government was formed (he hopes within 2 or 3 days) a real effort would be made. As the help of the Committee would be necessary he repeated again the plea that [Kirby] [3] should return for say 6 or 8 weeks.
4. I undertook to pass on his request and support it in the belief that there is a real hope of success. But I warned him that it may be impossible to spare Kirby.