TALKS ON INDONESIA

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 150, 22 December 1945, Page 7

TALKS ON INDONESIA

BRITAIN & HOLLAND

QUESTION OF OCCUPYING FORCES

(By Telegraph—Fross Association— Copyright.) Rec. 12.45 p.m. , .LONDON, Dec. 21. The Prime Minister, Mr. Attlce, is shortening his Christmas .holiday in order to journey from, Chequers to Downing Street on December 27 for talks with members of the Dutch Cabinet on Indonesia, says the Exchange Telegraph agency. The conversations are likely to continue for several days, and British Service chiefs may be called in.

Britain is not prepared to agree to any suggestion that the British troops should" remain in Java indefinitely or simply as an instrument for imposing Dutch will on Indonesia, the agency says. The British authorities accept their responsibilities to the Dutch, but feel that the Dutch and Indonesian leaders must now make a final settlement They feel that the existence of the national popular movement should not be ignored, even. though some of its sections were trained by Netherlands Government statement on the situation in Java was made this afternoon by the Minister for Overseas Territories. According to a radio report, the statement said that the Allies would continue to limit themselves strictly to the task given s&K.i« n as ssss"unreme Allied commander, and that he SI the. responsibility for what they were used for. They were alreaV]n action.in Batavia as well as SS£ T CSS rSPSS SSffa ro°ad St?|. SSsion and that it would continue toTh°e Commander of the Allied land forces in South-east Asia,. LieutenantGeneral Dempsey. and Air Vice-Mar-shal Park, the air chief, visited BataThistOafaternoon RAF. planes destroyed road blocks, and Indonesian strong-points near Bandoeng. OnS officer and one Indian were killed and three Indians were wounded while clearing road blocks south of Samarang, says a British # statement. Local police co-operated in clearing a village in the Buitenzorg area, but the Indonesian leaders appeared to be uncompromising in discussions. Troops in Batavia dispersed a mob of potential looters. . . The situation otherwise is quiet.