Cablegram 115 CANBERRA, 1 September 1947
IMMEDIATE PERSONAL
Minister leaves 4th (September) for New York. He is candidate for
Assembly President. Assembly Session will be [most] [1] difficult
one and you will agree that no [one] is better placed than
Minister to assist [deliberations] and endeavour to maintain
balanced debates.
2. I think you could assist our relations with the Dutch greatly
by a full and frank talk with the Foreign Minister saying that we
consider voluntary decision to agree to ... Security Council's
suggestion of [commission of] three to be a wise one; that we
shall do our best to assist in a final and satisfactory
settlement; that our motives all through have been to avoid bitter
public discussion and we believe we have succeeded and that Dutch
position has improved as a result of our efforts; and that it
would be a great pity if Indonesian matters in any way prevented
Australia and the Netherlands working together on [United] Nations
matters.
3. One clear demonstration of our continued cordial relations
would be the ratification of the South Seas Commission Agreement.
[2] Another, which would be regarded particularly in New York as a
tribute to the spirit of the Netherlands in relation to the United
Nations, would be outspoken support for the Minister as President
of Assembly.
4. I have not discussed this with the Minister but I feel
confident that this is something you could do with great benefit
to Australian-Dutch relations and to the United Nations faced now
with most critical problems.
[AA:A8108, 221/4/1, i]