Ministerial Despatch 4/47 SINGAPORE, 7 November 1947

CONFIDENTIAL

The Foreign Minister of the Republic of Indonesia (Hadji Agus
Salim) passed through Singapore last week on his way back to
Jogjakarta from the United Nations Security Council meeting at
Lake Success. During his stay in Singapore, the Hadji remained
rather in the background, but he called on various public figures
here and granted an interview to the press.

2. According to a statement put out by his own Indonesian News
Service, the Hadji expressed himself strongly on the current
Indonesian situation. As you will see from Volume I, No.95 [1],
forwarded to you under separate cover, he states that the full
recognition of the Republic is the one issue on which his
Government will now not compromise. On the other hand, he is
probably echoing the present mood of his Government in expressing
a definite desire for compromise on other questions, such as the
withdrawal of troops, and the settlement of property claims
arising from estates and other enterprises in Indonesia belonging
to Netherlands and foreign nationals. Dr. Oetoyo has for some time
now advocated the so-called 'joint gendarmerie'.

3. I had over an hour's conversation with Hadji Agus Salim prior
to his departure from Singapore. He possesses a cultivated and
worldly personality and, with his wispy beard, reminds one of the
traditional Chinese mandarin. He struck me as a rather garrulous
old gentleman, prone to lose himself somewhat in anecdote, but
extremely active-minded and shrewd on major political questions.

4. After the usual urbanities, in which he expressed great
personal pleasure at the appointment of Judge Kirby to represent
Australia on the Commi[ttee] of Three, and emphasised his
Government's eagerness to secure Australian assistance in the
reconstruction and development of Indonesia, he raised the major
issue of the Indonesian settlement. I was impressed by the
realism, and at the same time the sincerity, with which he
approached this question, and I gained the definite impression
from him that, while adamant on the principle of de jure
independence for Indonesia, he would not reject some compromise
solution short of what Indonesian publicists have been claiming in
statements in the press and over Jogjakarta radio in recent
months.

5. In fact, both from Hadji Agus Salim and Dr. Oetoyo, I have
discerned an impression of growing tiredness, and a conclusion
that half a loaf would be better than no bread. It is, of course,
impossible to say to what extent the readiness to compromise of
these men, living abroad away from their own Government and
possibly out of touch with political realities in their own
country, represents the attitude of the Republican Government.

6. The influence of Dr. Sjahrir with this group is very powerful,
and the Foreign Minister showed great anxiety that Sjahrir should
meet the Commi[ttee] at an early date, in order to put the case
for the Republic before its members informally, prior to embarking
officially on mediation between the two Governments. As reported
in my telegram No.594 [2], Dr. Sjahrir has not yet arrived in
Singapore and there is no exact information available in
Indonesian Government circles as to when he may be expected. I
shall of course ensure that he is given every facility by this
office when he does arrive, and convey to him the message of
welcome to Australia indicated in your telegram No.562. [3]

7. Hadji Agus Salim also discussed, with some wit, the probable
venue of the negotiations, and said that there was much to be said
for holding them in Holland itself. He said that the Netherlands
public was, on the whole, sympathetic towards the Indonesian
cause, and to hold the negotiations in Holland would afford an
opportunity to present the Republic's case objectively to the
Dutch people, and even to bring the pressure of public opinion to
bear on the Netherlands Government.