My telegram K.112. [2]

After long discussions agreement was reached in the Good Offices
Committee on the proposals for breaking the deadlock on the
plebiscite [3] These proposals closely followed the appropriate
sections of my telegram 106. [4]

2. I stressed that the Committee should formally agree on these
proposals, but the Americans and the Belgians pointed out that the
Netherlands would only accept suggestions if they were entirely
informal, so that no further reference could be made to them in
the Security Council or elsewhere. On my insistence, the parties
were asked whether they would accept more formal suggestions of
the type of the Christmas draft message. [5] The Republic agreed
but the Netherlands refused.

3. I endeavoured to have the Committee:

(a) Refrain from making proposals they could not report to the
Security Council.

(b) Report to the Security Council the present difficulties in the
light of the Council's mid-February discussions.

Both of these proposals were opposed by Herremans and Dubois and
it is now intended to hand the proposals informally to the parties
without any documentary changes and on the understanding that
these proposals cannot be referred to elsewhere without the
agreement of both parties.

4. I seriously considered with-holding my support to such informal
suggestions on the grounds that the Committee should take no
action which did not leave it free to report to the Council. I
gave this up because it could be misconstrued and on assurances
from Dubois that-
(a) He would use all his influence to see that further suggestions
by the Committee were formal, and
(b) The Committee in its next report would indicate that it had
made informal suggestions.

Furthermore, it is still open to the Republic to refuse to accept
informal suggestions.

5. As will be clear from my immediately following telegram,
discussions are going badly, and unless the Committee or the
Security Council can take the initiative, there is, in my opinion,
no prospect of a settlement. These procedural developments are
therefore extremely serious. My only course would appear to be to
write a strong minority report for our next report to the Security
Council. I should be glad to know whether you agree and whether
you consider I should refrain from participating in any further
informal proposals.