"HELPING JAPS"

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 250, 22 October 1945, Page 2

"HELPING JAPS"

CONSUL'S CHARGE SUPPLIES FOR EAST INDIES O.C. WELLINGTON, this day. Criticism of the action of New Zealand waterside workers in refusing to load the Alcinous for the East Indies was made to-day by Mr. M. F Vigeveno, Netherlands Consul. "It is strange that they should advocate a policy which assists the Japanese," he said. The Alcinous has been held up in Wellington for a week. The present policy of the wafearside workers could be regarded caijy as one that favoured a single Indonesian faction which had been armed by the Japanese and the continuation by the latter of war in the political sphere after their military defeat, he said. While he did not doubt the sincerity of the, waterside workers, obviously they I '-were not informed about the situation in the Indies.

It was regrettable that instead of having confidence in the Netherlands Government, who, through their stubborn resistance to Fascist aggression both" in Europe and Asia, had given convincing proof to the world of a democratic and humanitarian outlook, waterside workers in New Zealand and some other countries were siding with one group of Indonesians who had collaborated with the Japanese and were now endangering the welfare of millions of other Indonesians and the 'lives of from between 200,000 to 300,000 people of European and mixed blood, said the Consul. When the Japanese treacherously attacked Pearl Harbour and Malaya the Dutch, though not then attacked, declared war on Japan immediately and threw themselves into the defence of Malaya with all they had. "Memories Short" "Memories are short," said the I Consul. "In time to come it will probably be generally admitted, as has indeed been already stated by several international experts, that the attitude of the Dutch and the fight put up by them in 1941 until the fall of Java saved Australia and New Zealand from invasion, We certainly gave the Allies time to reorganise and so prepare for the counter-attack." Queen Wilhelmina herself had promised the people of the Indies that immediately after the war a round table conference of all groups would be called to devise means to introduced autonomy for them within the framework of the Netherlands Commonwealth, he said. At such a conference the Indonesians would have the opportunity of expressing opinions as to their treatment by the Dutch. He pointed out that the present situation in the Indies, to which the action of the waterside workers was contributing, had the effect of delaying progressive political developments. The personnel of the conference would otherwise have been named and preparations Would have been made for the assembly of the People's Council; which had an Indonesian majority. ' "To-day only one group, and its integrity is, to say the least, doubtful, has been able to make itself heard," said Mr. "Vigeveno. "The right of all others to decide for themselves is denied. "If there are any loyal Indonesians who to-day follow Dr. Soekarno, the friend of the Japanese, it is because they have gone through such extreme hardships during the occupation, have lost all contact with the outer world and are instilled by a group of opportunists with the idea that only a breakaway from the Dutch can bring better conditions," said the Consul. "The voices of those true Indonesian leaders who are well aware that this can be achieved only in co-operation with the Dutch are prevented from being heard."