856E.00/12–2645
The British Embassy to the Department of State 34
The Department of State through the American Embassy in London have enquired whether it might be helpful for the American Ambassador at the Hague informally to approach the appropriate Netherlands officials and to express a hope that the Netherlands Government will actively continue discussions with all Indonesian factions.
The Foreign Office, while appreciating the helpful intention of this approach, feel that in present circumstances it would no longer be appropriate. There is no present difficulty on the Dutch side as regards meetings with Indonesian leaders. Meetings have taken place—the latest on December 3rd, which seems to have been conducted in a friendly atmosphere. The present difficulty lies rather in the inability of the Indonesian leaders to control extremists, which has led to a serious deterioration of the situation throughout Java and a great and pressing danger to the many thousands of internees.
In these circumstances it would be to the advantage of all concerned if the Department could see its way to make some public statement, not addressed specifically either to the Dutch or the Indonesians, expressing a hope that conversations will continue on a co-operative basis. It would be particularly helpful if such a statement could include an acknowledgment that British troops have gone to Java to carry out an important Allied task, namely to complete the surrender of Japanese forces and to ensure the safety of Allied prisoners of war and internees.
There are still in Java some 30,000 Japanese troops over whom control has not yet been established.
In the Batavia area there are some 70 thousand prisoners and internees, while in Central Java there may be as many as 200 thousand Eurasians and Dutch whose whereabouts and condition are unknown.
- This memorandum is not dated but was apparently left by the British Ambassador with the Secretary of State on December 10. See memorandum of conversation, supra. ↩