Received 18 November 1945

This is 12th telegram I have sent you since arrival at Batavia ten
days ago. Several telegrams contained urgent request for your
directions.

During this period I have received only one short message in reply
[1] and this did not deal with any of the questions I have asked.

In particular the British have not received any financial advice
or advance concerning our expenses and we are living by borrowing.

I therefore most earnestly request that you try to establish
forthwith satisfactory channel of communication with me and reply
to questions I have asked. The work here is associated with some
danger, considerable discomfort and difficulty. These things would
not worry me at all if I felt I were receiving reasonable help and
support from Canberra.

I believe it is not likely that a satisfactory settlement will
soon be reached between the Dutch and the new Indonesian leaders.

Perhaps the most disconcerting feature of the whole situation is
that no present third party understands and can assess the
Indonesian movement. British interests are first, get home and
second to keep good friends with Holland. British information here
not only generalised but often inaccurate. I have experienced
several instances in which the British have given me official
information in good faith which has been inconsistent either with
my direct personal knowledge of the facts or with the testimony of
reliable newspaper men on the spot. The British rely mainly for
their information on the Dutch who are not only partisan but have
on their own admission badly misunderstood what was really
happening in Java under occupation. Example of unreliability of
Dutch reports is avowed propaganda aiming to play up Japanese
participation in Indonesian violence. I have good grounds for
believing that official reports seriously exaggerate this Japanese
participation. I apologise for repeating here some statements I
have made in previous messages. The main point is that British
apathy ignorance and misinformation about the Indonesian movement
make it specially desirable that some other third party or United
Nations enquires.

Foregoing is confirming fact that in purely military sphere
Christison showing tact and restraint in dealing with both the
Dutch and the Indonesians.