Security 548.

1. Your UNY.763. [1] Would be perfectly prepared personally to
call a meeting 26th December but must point out that absolutely no
purpose would be served by this. On the contrary, it might badly
prejudice the reception and discussion of our case three or four
days later. The circumstances are as follows:

(1) Telegram received this morning by the Secretariat from Batavia
states that as the Interim Report would be fuller than was
expected it will now be sent by airmail. No mention is made of a
telegraphed summary.

(2) Even if this information is prior to Critchley's advice to you
quoted in your UNY.764 [2], I cannot see any certainty in
paragraph 5(D) of Critchley's telegram that telegraphed summary
would in fact be here by 26th.

(3) Assuming that at the very best summary is received here on
25th, it could not be processed, translated and distributed in
time to allow Delegates to examine it before any meeting in less
than forty-eight hours.

(4) In any case there would be practically no hope of getting
Council to agree to start discussion on telegraphed summary when
it was known that full text of report was on its way by air. At
meeting of 19th December [3], seven Members of the Council
indicated definitely that they wished to see and study the
Committee's report before proceeding with discussion and this has
been [the] attitude of the Council on previous similar occasions.

(5) Therefore, whether the Report reaches New York on 26th or not,
it would be simply unrealistic to expect that any discussion could
be held on 26th. (6) Over and above this, a full three days'
notice is required for convening of a Council meeting and I could
not feel justified in issuing notice of meeting this morning which
is the latest time in the absence of certainty that essential
document would be available.

2. If it becomes known by 26th that the summary will definitely be
forthcoming in time, I can call a meeting for 29th. The date of
30th mentioned by me in my earlier telegram [4] was suggested by
myself as being probably the earliest feasible taking into account
uncertain date of receipt of report and the necessity of
distributing etc. but it might be quite possible to advance this
by one day, certainly not by more. I fully appreciate your desire
for urgency which I share and greatly regret delays but these are
due simply to delay in receipt of information from the Committee.

3. Will try also to reach you by telephone. [5]