MORE PATROLS ORDERED

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29728, 23 January 1962, Page 13

MORE PATROLS ORDERED

Call By Soekarno For Readiness

(N 2P A.-Reuter—Copyright)

DJAKARTA, January 22.

President Soekarno said today that Indonesia was determined to get Dutch-held West New 7 Guinea this year and he had instructed his armed forces to intensify their patrols. The President w 7 as speaking on the transfer of command of the Air Force from Air Marshal Suryadarma to Air Vice-Marshal Omar Dhani.

Air Marshal Suryadarma, founder of the Indonesian Air Force, is to be the military adviser to the President. The President said the change was necessary because the Air Force was being “rejuvenated.”

The President is understood to be displeased at the degree of inter-service cooperation shown in last week's Arafura Sea action, where Dutch ships and aircraft sank an Indonesian torpedo boat. Among the missing was Deputy Chief of the Nazal Staff. Commodore Jos Sudarso.

The President said in ms soeech in his Freedom Palace it had become a ' complete, absolute condition that Indonesia possess strong armed forces” so that it could have West New Guinea before the end of this year. “It is the will not only of the Indonesian people but jf history that Indonesia get the territory now." he said. ‘lt must be returned imme diately to our authority.

“I also have said that Indonesia was still willing to negotiate but only on the basis of the transfer of ’.e administration. Unless there is this basis. Indonesia will not negotiate. “And in moving towards a solution of the issue I would like to stress that we must intensify our exercises and patrols. For all Indonesian armed forces: exercises i.nd patrols.” The President, who was making his first public comment on last week’s sea fight said he would like to emphasise the Indonesian vessels involved had been on patrol and they had been attacked by the Dutch. “The world must understand that this has inflame 1 the Indonesian heart.” The President read an

order of the day, saying Air Marshal Suryadarma is discharged honourably as Chief of the Air Staff and was replaced by Air Vice-Marshai Dhani and the former was appointed military adviser to the President. This move has been necessary in the framework of the struggle for West New Guinea and the rejuvenation 01 the Air Force, he said. No other interpretations should be given it. The chief of the European section of the Indonesian Foreign Office (Mr Sudjarwo Tjondronegoro) had arrived in New York from Djakarta for talks in the Dutch New Guinea dispute. It was not known early today when the visiting diplomat would begin his talks, but it was believed he would meet the United States Acting SecretaryGeneral (U Thant) some time this week.

U Thant is expected shortly to call in both the Dutch and Indonesian Ambassadors to the United Nations in search of a peacemaking formula. But diplomats warrua against too much optimism. The major obstacle, in which all past negotiations have foundered, was for the United Nations SecretaiyGeneral to find common ground on which to negotiate, sources said. Offer Accepted

The Dutch Prime Minister (Professor Jan de Quay) accepted U Thant’s good offices offer on January 16 Dr. Soekarno did so in a cable to U Thant on Saturday. Neither of the two Government leaders, however, had supplied U Thant with any clue as to the basis on wh'ch the negotiations should procede, U.P.I. said. In his cable Dr. Soekarno said he was ready to seek a peaceful settlement “honourable foi both sides.’ Diplomatic sources, however, cautioned that this did not mean that Dr Soekarno had dropped his insistence that any negotiation be only ,a the Dutch-held territory’s transfer to Indonesia.