My telegram No. 93 and Commonwealth Government No. 163. [1]

We have reason to suppose that the question of German internees
was discussed during the visit to the Netherlands East Indies of
the Netherlands Minister for Foreign Affairs [2] and Colonial
Minister. [3] One secret report is to the effect that M. Welter
requested the Governor-General [4] to release all internees but
that the Governor-General after consultation with the Procurator
[5] refused and that the subject was dropped.

His Majesty's Consul-General at Batavia [6] reports that
nevertheless enquiries are being made through the Netherlands East
Indies Tourist Office for securing accommodation from the
Netherlands East Indies to Japan by Japanese line for 350 German
women in June next and we know from secret but reliable source (on
no account to be quoted) that the Japanese Government have
promised the German Government to provide sufficient accommodation
in Japanese ships during May, June and July to remove 500
internees.

German pressure may therefore be expected to continue and His
Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom are concerned at the
possibility that male internees should be removed since many of
them are experts on conditions in the Netherlands East Indies and
might be used by Germany or Japan to the detriment of the Allies
in the Far East. As the Netherlands Government are understood to
regard the problem principally from the point of view of its
reaction on German treatment of the Dutch population in Holland,
it would be useful if Far East security aspect could be emphasized
by the Commonwealth Government. Please therefore suggest to them
that they should take the opportunity of the visit of Dutch
Ministers [7] to ask M. Van Kleffens whether there is any truth in
rumours that a proposal is afoot to repatriate German internees in
the Netherlands East Indies.