FRANCO'S FAITH

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 103, 29 October 1945, Page 8

FRANCO'S FAITH

A GERMAN VICTORY

DUTCH CONSUL'S EXPERIENCE

Jonkheer Dr. W. E. Van Panhuys, the new Consul-General for the Ne!£ r erlands in New Zealand, arrived m Wellington yesterday by air from Australia to succeed Mr. M. F. Vigeveno, who has been appointed . Consul-General at Singapore. ; . Dr. Panhuys, who was born .in _tne province of Zeeland, entered the ioreign service of his Government in 1929, and has-served in Copenhagen, Prague, Paris, Rome, and Madrid. Until recently he was attached to the Netherlands Legation in Canberra. Dr. Van Panhuys obtained so much inside information during the pre-war years of tension in .the European capitals, stories of ' espionage and counterespionage, that he. has sufficient material for a book. There was no doubt, he said today, that the Spanish Dictator, General -Franco, believed firmly in a German victory, even after the entry of the United States into the W"The diplomats representing those countries that were under the German heel were rarely received officially " he said. "The Spanish Government, which was obviously sympathetic with the Germans, did not recognise us. However, we kept in close touch with the British Embassy (which also had an exceedingly difficult task), and we remained a most compact unit, being mutually helpful to each other. The Spaniards promptly imprisoned any Dutch refugees who entered their territories,; and ; ill-treated them in their prison. Spanish gaols are bad —at least we used to think so until we learned of new horrors petrpetrated by the Germans and the Japanese, and our people were badly treated." It was useless for Franco to claim that he had kept Spain out of the war, he continued, for he knew of one meeting on the border between the general and Hitler. It was then that Franco offered to bring his people in on the side of the Germans, provided that certain concessions were obtained, particularly in regard to French Morocco. However, nothing eventuated, as Hitler in all probability thought that Spanish co-operation would be more of a liability at that time than an i assst Yon Stohrer (though subsequently recalled to Germany in disgrace) was a particularly able Ambassador for the Germans, and was in control of a most efficient secret police. The Germans, both in Madrid and in Rome, had developed a service that supplied information not only about foreigners but about themselves; spy was set upon spy, until no member of the German communities was free from supervsion.

THE INDONESIAN SITUATION.

While in Australia Dr. Van Panhuys was, naturally, in close touch with the Netherlands East Indies Government established there. He expressed surprise at the cabled statement that Dr. Van Mook had been instructed, on

behalf of the Netherlands Government, to enter into negotiations with Dr. Soekarno. "I cannot understand it at all," he said. "If Dr. Soekarno had not been such an active collaborationist with the Japanese he might have been admitted as a spokesman." During the Japanese occupation Dr. Soekarno had not only visited Tokio, but had accepted a high Japanese decoration. "Indeed, on his return he went much further in the way, of collaboration than even his aspirations as a republican leader entitled him to go, remarked Dr. Van Panhuys. "We have kept a careful check on his broadcast statements, and know precisely what he said on those occasions." The Consul-General also said that the aim of his Government had been a real partnership with the Indies. It was recognised that the term "colony, as far as the Indies were concerned, was no longer applicable, and gradually administrative posts had been given to the Indonesians. Two of the members of their Gqvernmeent in Australia were Indonesians. However, it was felt that the Dutch, because of their long association with the.islands, should, for. economic, defence, and other reasons, guide the Indonesians until self-government had been achieved.

"We protest against any forced change," said Dr. Van Panhuys. "We contend that it must be gradual and peaceful, in the form of evolution. The statement by Dr. Van der Plas that 90 per' cent, of the Indonesians were loyal to the Dutch, could be accepted in good faith. "Dr. Van der Plas knows what he is talking about," added the Consul-General.