At today's informal meeting (my telegram C1 [1]), there was an
initial difference of opinion on the chairmanship of the Steering
Committee. The Netherlands delegation proposed that the chair
should rotate among the three Participants-the Netherlands, the
Republic, and the B.F.O. The Republican delegation suggested that
representatives of the U.N.C.I. should chair the committee whereas
the Netherlands would countermand [2] the plenary sessions of the
conference and the three Participants would chair various other
committees. The B.F.O. supported the Netherlands Delegation.

2. It was then agreed that a sub-committee consisting of one
representative of each Participant should consider the draft rules
of procedure prepared by each delegation and if unsatisfactory
agree on a radical consolidation to be recommended to a second
informal meeting on Thursday August 18th. Van Royen, Roem, Anak
Agung Gde Agu[ng] and Cochran as chairman of the week of U.N.C.I.,
were appointed to the sub-Committee.

3. It was agreed that the round table conference will begin
Tuesday August 23rd but for Parliamentary reasons the Netherlands
delegation insists that no announcement be made before Thursday.

4. Van Maarseveen made a statement to the meeting to the effect
that reports from Java revealed that after the cease-fire order
T.N.I. forces had infiltrated into Soerabaya and that documents
had been captured to show that there was a definite plan to
infiltrate into areas controlled by the Netherlands. He expressed
the hope that the Republican Government would take measures to
prevent any recurrence of such a proxy. The Netherlands Government
found it necessary to bring the matter to the attention of the
States-General but would do so in a moderate way since the
Government was convinced that the infiltration was an initial
incident which would not be followed up. Hatta replied that he
would endeavour to obtain a report from Indonesia.