SOEKARNO CALLS FOR PEACE

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24713, 2 November 1945, Page 5

SOEKARNO CALLS FOR PEACE

Broadcast Appeal To Indonesians COOPERATION WITH ALLIES (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 12.5 a.m.) BATAVIA, Nov. 1. Dr. Soekarno, broadcasting, appealed to all Indonesians to stop fighting "and solve all misunderstandings in close co-operation with the Allies." He added: "The misunderstandings can be readily resolved. The Allies came only to disarm and evacuate the Japanese, to take care of internees, and to maintain law and order in the occupation areas." Dr. Soekarno said that the murder of Brigadier A. W. F. Mallaby, commander of the 49th Indian Infantry Brigade, the British occupying force in Sourabaya, had weakened the Nationalist case and had been a blow to their prestige. He declared that Brigadier Mallaby had been killed during a riot. Dr. Soekarno announced that his Cabinet would meet the LieutenantGovernor of the Netherlands East Indies (Dr. van Mook) informally on Wednesday night in LieutenantGeneral Sir Philip Christison's residence. . • v The correspondent of the Australian Associated Press reports that the whole Indonesian Cabinet and Working Committee held a number of meetings this afternoon at which the uppermost subject was the disquieting disorders culminating in Brigadier Mallaby's death, which is testing the Cabinet's claim to authority to the full and has given the whole Indonesian cause a tremendous jolt. In an interview. Dr. Soekarno said he had promised Lieutenant-General, Christison frank co-operation with the! British forces to maintain law and order. Dr. Soekarno added: "The smallest clash is enough to summon me to the spot and I will deal with it myself." "Must Co-operate" Sjarifuddin, the Indonesian "Minister of Information," interposed to say: "The outbreaks have been nonsensical because we must co-operate with the British forces. There is no reason why we should fight them. It is a sad thing for us because we parted in a spirit of goodwill after the conference in Sourabaya." Dr. Soekarno said the excitement had been caused by the thought that the British forces had«been sent as precursors of the Netherlands East Indies civil administration. "I learnt, to my greatest regret, after my return to Batavia that the fighting had been revived and that Brigadier Mallaby, whose bravery I witnessed and honoured at Sourabaya, had become a victim of the disorders," he said. "We ordered the fighting to stop and I shall take appropriate measures to master the situation, while I shall keep myself in the closest co-operation with the Allied army." Dr. Soekarno attempted to leave Batavia by air for an unknown destination on Wednesday afternoon but British intelligence officers intercepted him at the Batavia airport and instructed him in future to obey British orders. Dr. Soekarrto was to broadcast on Wednesday night from the Batavia radio. The script was to be dictated by the British. A British Army spokesman said that no further news of the circumstances of Brigadier Mallaby's death had been received. All that was known was Brigadier Mallaby passed through the Indonesian lines on the way to investi-" gate the shootings and was killed by a mob. It was still not known how. The two officers who escaped with the news apparently found their way to the port area on Wednesday morning after being out all night, and they reported to the Navy, which passed on the message.

Lieutenant-General Christison is reported as saying that many Indonesians in the Sourabaya fighting wore Japanese uniforms and that some, if not all, were led by German or Japanese officers.

IMPERIAL TRADE PREFERENCE IMPORTANT ISSUE IN AUSTRALIA BRITAIN BEGINS EXPORT DRIVE (Special Australian Corresp., N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 8 p.m.) SYDNEY, Nov. 1. While the policy of Imperial preference, which during the war years had been lying dormant, is again becoming an issue of first rate importance, Britain has begun a big export drive i to Australia. Imperial preference has been the underlying basis of British and Australian trade since 1908, and the abrupt termination of lend-lease has found Australia as devoted to the principle as Britain. The "Sydney Morning Herald's" financial correspondent says: "It is generally agreed that Britain, faces the problem of expanding her exports to 50 per cent, more than their prewar volume, and ' unless substantial breaches are made in the American tariff, which so far seems unlikely, the largest part*must find markets in the Dominions. There is a widespread feeling among Australian traders and manufacturers that every possible effort should be made by Australia to assist Britain in meeting her export problem. "This is by no means incompatible with the steady industrial development in Australia since the evidence is overwhelming that the volume of trade benefits from sound industrialisation. Preferences in the British market for Australian primary products have had a great importance for closer settlement in Australia. The steady demand of the British market has helped to sustain prosperity for large regions of Australia. "Large general cargoes in ships which nave arrived in the last few days, and in others due shortly,'indicate that the post-war British export; drive has begun. The consignments in- ; elude many articles and materials which have been unobtainable in Australia for years. One ship brought j 2000 different lines, including bales of j cotton, aniline dyes, cutlery, elastic, surgical plasters, sewing and knitting needles, tools, medicines, and books. "To aid the Empire dollar position Australia has decided to continue' petrol rationing until additional British refineries and tankers become avail-' able. It is stated in' Canberra that j petrol rationing in most Empire coun-' tries will. continue until Empire refineries produce adequate supplies. The world's largest oil reserves are in sterling territory in the Middle East, but Britain is not at present able to expoit them fully because of treatment and transport problems. The Empire countries have decided that, pending clarification of the lend-lease situation, there should be no substantial call on the Empire's dollar pool for petrol supplied." Ley's Brain Sent to U.S.—The brain of the Nazi labour leader, Dr. Robert Ley, is on its way by air to Washington, for study by the United States Surgeon-General. Ley had been studied in his cell by psychologists, and his brain was removed a few hours after his death. It is thought that his brain was probably damaged in an aircraft accident last year when his skull was fractured.—Washington, October 31,