On Thursday, Dubois handed Van Mook in Batavia a copy of the joint
Australian United States working paper [1] for an overall
settlement (see my telegram K.130 [2]).

According to Dubois, Van Mook was at first aggressive then
reproachful and reviewed the presentation of the plan at this
stage as a stab in the back.

2. Dubois was subsequently in touch by telephone with the State
Department, which though disappointed that the plan had not been
accepted by the Committee as a whole [supported his action to
date]. [3] Dubois indicated that he had claimed full
responsibility for our plan to avoid criticism that he had merely
followed an Australian lead. He hinted that he may shortly be
recalled for consultation.

3. Roem saw Van Mook after Dubois, this time in the presence of
Vredenburch and Neher, and presented the Republican reply to the
Dutch aide memoire on foreign relations [4] and Hatta's reply to
Van Mook's invitation to an informal talk. [5] His reception was
not favourable. The reply to the aide memoire was regarded as
unsatisfactory and Vredenburch was anxious to learn who had had a
hand in its preparation. Vredenburch was also annoyed that Hatta
would only agree to see Van Mook personally. Neher mentioned the
paper Dubois had just delivered and said that the Dutch were not
going to be pushed around by other countries (mentioning
Australia, United States and India). They had a plan of their own
for the Indies which they intended to put into effect.

4. The presentation of our paper and Hatta's reply regarding
informal talks may hinder Van Mook's plan to put pressure on the
Republic by offering Hatta eight out of fifteen seats in an
interim Federal Government with, however, no guarantees as to the
powers of such Government. Van Mook has not yet made any further
reply regarding the talks but he can hardly ignore Hatta's offer
and a meeting may take place about June 16th.

5. The Dutch tactics now will be to delay further and avoid
consideration of our plan, and it will be essential for the
Committee to retain its hardly won initiative. In the coming week
or so our efforts will be directed to:

(a) Shaping the third interim report so as to convey the position
clearly to the Security Council.

(b) Persuading the Republic to officially approve our plan in
principle.