The Indonesian Foreign Office were very favourable to me making a
brief and entirely informal visit to Djokjakarta and wished to
arrange this. Ballard and I, on Monday, approached Schuurman and
requested the Dutch concur in an informal visit during which
nothing official would be done. Schuurman reserved the matter
[for] Van Mook's decision and on Tuesday informed us that Van Mook
would not agree.

2. The Dutch recently concurred in an informal visit by 2 members
of the British Consul[ate]-General. Refusal in my case, therefore,
amounts to discrimination. I consider it is also evidence of bad
faith, inasmuch as one condition they made for visit of our party
here was that the visit to the interior would not be made public
through them, i.e., principle of such visits was conceded but is
not now implemented.

3. In discussing the request on the occasion mentioned, Schuurman
doubted that permission would be granted, stating Netherlands East
Indies Government intended to establish a liaison office in
Djokjakarta and did not envisage visits by the foreign officials
until then. However, the proposed liaison office was first
mentioned to Ballard towards the end of March and we are informed
by the Indonesian Foreign Office that in 7 weeks since then the
Dutch have done nothing to establish it.

4. The facts in paragraph 2 seem to me to call for a protest to
the Dutch in Canberra, but this should be deferred until any
danger prejudicing the present talks on shipping ban is passed.