STATUS OF WEST NEW GUINEA

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26204, 30 August 1950, Page 7

STATUS OF WEST NEW GUINEA

AUSTRALIA’S VIEW DEFINED

MR SPENDER MEETS DUTCH MINISTERS THE HAGUE, August 28.

The Australian Government considered that’any alteration of Western New Guinea’s status was no longer a matter merely between the Netherlands and Indonesia, the Australian Minister of External Affairs (Mr P. C. Spender) told a press conference to-day. Mr Spender, who spoke after preliminary talks with the Prime Minister (Dr. Drees), the Foreign Minister (Dr. Stikker), and the Union Affairs Minister (Mr Van Maarsevteen), said that the main reason for his visit to Holland was to give Dutch Ministers the Australian viewpoint on Dutch New Guinea.

It was not reasonable to exclude Australia’s interest when a claim was made which would alter completely the existing status of the territory and incorporate it into the United States of Indonesia..

“.We cannot alter geography, which for all times makes the mainland of New Guinea of vital importance to our security,” he said. “The Australian Government thinks that it would be both unreal and unreasonable that any changes of status for the territory should occur, which disregard the interests of the indigenous population and those of Australia.”

Mr Spender denied having suggested an Australian-Dutch condominium as a solution of the Western New Guinea problem. The correspondent of the United Press states that in political circles after the press conference it was stated that speculation should not be entirely centred on the idea of an Australian-Dutch condominium since other solutions were possible, including the transfer of authority to Indonesia after a period of some decades or the setting up of a joint Dutch-Indonesian authority. Meeting Next Month

Reuter’s correspondent states that it is now generally admitted that there is little likelihood of the Netherlands and Indonesia reaching a satisfactory settlement before the end of the year, as stipulated by the Round-Table Conference agreement last year. The final conference on the problem to consider the two divergent reports submitted by the Dutch and Indonesian Commission is to meet at The Hague next month in a last effort to find a solution.

It is reliably learned that Mr Spender has assured the Dutch of full Australian support if they , stand firm in their contention that it would be against the interests of the people of Western New Guinea for the new Indonesian Republican Government to play any part in its administration. The keynote to the Australian point of View, it is understood, is that past experience and present strategy demand that New Guinea be in “safe” hands.

Australia feels that, the new Government of Indonesia is. too immature and unstable to provide that safety, apart from the obvious danger of Communist infiltration.