Your telegram [I]9. [1]

After long discussions with Graham last night and this morning, I
eventually managed to obtain his agreement to forwarding the full
text of the last truce plan [2] to the Council and he arranged a
special committee meeting this morning for that purpose. Herremans
was opposed but did not finally commit himself. Unfortunately
immediately prior to the meeting Scott and Ogburn got hold of
Graham and changed his mind. Their arguments were that
(a) Publication now would give the Dutch ammunition on procedural
grounds for delaying and possibly defeating the plan.

(b) This argument was, largely based on the fact that the
Committee had only forwarded last night elucidation of the plan on
a number of points queried by the Dutch. My immediately following
telegram [3] gives the text of our explanations. Delay was due to
our only receiving the Dutch request on 12th December.

(c) It would be a mistake to forward the plan at this stage when
in a short time it should be possible to complete a detailed and
effective report on the Committee's activities with regard to the
cease fire.

(d) In view of the foregoing the Committee's best course would be
to prepare a good effective report and to present it at the end of
the month.

2. As these were in substance the arguments defended by Graham
earlier, I found it impossible to swing round. The best I could
achieve was that
(a) The Committee should appoint a drafting committee to prepare
immediately a report of the Committee's activities to date.

(b) A telegram should be sent today advising the Security Council
that the report would be available in a few days and that the
Committee hoped to telegraph it on Monday.

(c) The parties should be advised of the intention to report.

3. On the basis of these decisions which were confirmed in the
Committee, I hope it will be possible to prolong discussion of the
Indonesian dispute or postpone it until next week or arrange a
discussion in the Council as soon as the report is received.

4. If none of these courses is practicable it would still be open
to us to present unilaterally the appropriate papers to the
Council. However in the event of our doing this, I fear that we
would be certain to lose important American support and I presume
that you would give me an opportunity to announce our intention in
Committee.

5. The report will be telegraphed en clair and will doubtless
become public as soon as discussed in the Council. I have
mentioned in the Committee the possible desirability of the
Committee publishing the truce plan if and as soon as I can win
support.

6. Thanks for your telegram 394. [4]