With reference to my telegram No. 188 [1] which described
references to the residency of New Guinea, I desire to inform you
that Dr. Mohammed Hatta in the course of a press interview on
November 4th made the following reply to a query whether Indonesia
would be willing to incorporate in the new United Republic the
territories of British Borneo, Portuguese Timor and Australian
Mandated New Guinea. 'I do not know whether we should support any
of these peoples if they made such a request. We should have to
consider each case.' The Republican delegation leader is reported
to have added that he was not putting forward any claim for these
territories.

2. On November 5th 'an authoritative Indonesian source' was
reported to have said that the suggestion to incorporate New
Guinea in the R.I.S. while continuing Dutch administration for 99
years had not been made during the New Guinea talks at the Round
Table Conference. To avoid all misunderstanding he added that it
should be made clear that the Federalist delegations' only
suggestions were to incorporate New Guinea in the R.I.S., to
continue Dutch administration for a short time and to have
discussions with the Netherlands on the subject at a later date.