NEGOTIATIONS OVER NEW GUINEA

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29742, 8 February 1962, Page 13

NEGOTIATIONS OVER NEW GUINEA

Indonesia Expecting ‘Nothing Concrete’ (N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) DJAKARTA, February’ 7. Indonesia was “expecting nothing concrete” to result from diplomatic negotiations over the West New Guinea problem, the Foreign Minister (Dr. Subandrio) announced today. Dr. Subandrio has just returned from consultations with President Soekarno on the island of Bali.

“We are not at present expecting anything of a concrete result from diplomacy in the framework of the campaign to liberate West Iran," Dr. Subandrio said. “There is no indication of a sincere desire on the part of the Dutch for settlement of the West Iran question diplomatically ” Meeting at Palace

The Foreign Minister said the President yesterday summoned his newly appointed Chief of Air Staff (Air ViceMarshal Omar Dhani) to Bali to give him a “special assignment.” Air Vice-Marshal Dhani arrived at the President's palace yesterday afternoon, Dr Subandrio said.

Dr. Soekarno. staying at Bali with his guest. Crown Prince Akihito of Japan, is carrying on the Government from the Island. He called Dr. Subandrio to Bali yesterday Dr. Subandrio said Prince Akihito has not yet fully recovered from the influenza which caused the cancellation of his tour of the Philippines. The tour was to have started today.

Dr Subandrio made no further statement concerning the attack on the United States Embassy by about 100 student demonstrators. The students smashed windows in the building and in cars outside, in protest against America granting permission to Dutch aircraft to fly troops to New Guinea through the United States. Visit to Djakarta

In New York, the “Jourral America’’ said in an editorial that President Kennedy should consider can-

celling the proposed visit to Indonesia by his brother, the Attorney-General (Mr Robert Kennedy). “The shameful courting of the swaggering Afro-Asians” by the United States State Department continued, it said. Now it was the Dutch who were let down by the mistaken appeasement of withdrawing United States permission to use Pacific airfields.

“To intensify the humiliation, this coincides with a mob scene in the Indonesian capital of Djakarta, where the American Embassy was stoned, an American woman injured and the United States flag ripped down. . . . "There is no way to justify the Administration’s attitude of impartiality in the New Guinea tussle. “The Dutch are our allies and they have clean hands in this case. The Indonesians are—diplomatically, at least —foes, and in New Guinea they are naked aggressors.” One way to handle the situation would be to cancel the Indonesian visit scheduled as part of the Attorney-Gen-eral's current trip, the “Journal American” said. “We think the President should give serious consideration to that, and at tihe same time restore the Dutch access to our airfields.

> The New York “World ; Telegram” said in an editorial t that no American Ambassador ever sent to Indrnesia f had proved so favourably disposed and understanding of ! the volatile President Soet karno as Mr Howard J. i Jones. ; "Is it surprising, then, that f the Djakarta mobs which s went on a stone-throwing ■ rampage over the week-end should choose the American

Embassy as the target of Indonesian wrath? Hardly so, in view of the ill feeling

that has been generated there against Americans, in spite of Jones. . . .

“In any case, the antiAmerican mob violence is a cause for concern.

“It serves to show, among other things, that Mr Jones’s long and sympathetic efforts for a peaceful settlement (of the New Guinea dispute) are neither very useful nor well received in a country that seems determined to explode a war.”

In Washington, the White House press secretary (Mr Pierre Salinger) said he had heard nothing to indicate that the Attorney-General planned to cancel his Indonesian visit.

The Attorney-General and his wife, now in Japan, are due in Djakarta on Monday. Mr and Mrs Kennedy left Tokyo airport this morning for a two-day visit to the Kanai district, western Japan. In spite of their tight schedule, including hours of talking, walking and answering questions, the couple showed no signs of tiring.

They left for the airport by car early this morning before most office workers in Tokyo were at their desks. Today the couple were to meet more students at an oil company’s technical school and at ■ a primary school, lunch with workers at a television factory, hold a roundtable talk with local residents and officials in the area, attend a press conference, and find time to see some of the historical temples -f Nara, a former capital of Japan.