REPORT TO DUTCH

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 152, 26 December 1945, Page 5

REPORT TO DUTCH

SOLUTION IN JAVA

RECOGNITION OF SJAHRIR GOVERNMENT

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, December 24.

Dr van Mook, Lieutenant-Governor of the Netherlands East Indies, is reported to have told the Dutch Cabinet that full recognition for the Sjahnr Government is the only solution to the Indonesian problem, says the Associated Press correspondent at Amsterdam.

Dr. van Mook emphasised that nothing less would satisfy the Indonesians, who would not accept the limited form of self-government within the Dutch Empire which Queen Wilhelmina promised on December 7, 1942 ' Tlie Indonesian Government is tremendously popular, and lias the support of moderates and extremists, women's groups, and youth movements from every party in Java, says the Associated Press correspondent at Batavia, who accompanied the former Premier, Dr. Soekarno, and the present Premier,. Mr. Sjahrir, and other members of the Cabinet on a tour of the island. The party visited Dutch and Japanese internment camps, saw many mass meetings, and inspected thousands of youths drilling with everything from machine-guns to tommy-guns carved from wood. The correspondent considers that the internees could be removed from the interior at an early date. Ihe Dutch are not ill-treated, but iack sufficient food and medicine. The Japanese are well fed. They are disarmed, but probably in some cases are still helping to train the Indonesians. INDONESIANS' HANDICAPS.

The correspondent adds that tilt Indonesians are now sufficiently armed and disciplined to ensure the delivery of all Japanese and Dutch into Allied hands. The Indonesians are running the country under great handicaps, but say that they would welcome Dutch and Eurasian citizens and would compensate property-owners who elected to leave Java. The 21-year-old Sultan Solo, one of Ja.-a's richest and most influential princes, accompanied Dr. Soekarno's party, and three other princes pledged allegiance during the tour, despite the fact that socialistic self-government would probably end their reign. Dr. Soekarno said that the most pleasant surprise of the tour was the readiness with which the extremists of eastern Java and elsewhere pledged full support for the .Government. The Indonesian Republican Government has undertaken to conduct safely and deliver to the Allies all RAPWI personnel in central and eastern Java. • The Dutch Minister for Overseas Territories, Professor Logeman, told Parliament that force alone could not settle the Java problem, and added that it was certain that a political contribution to the restoration of the State and society could be the only constructive one. The Government had sought a way of discussions from the first, and would continue on that way. The co-operation which had been secured in a great part of the outlying districts would have made it clear to Java and to the world that the Government meant business with a new course.

BRITISH AND INDIAN CASUALTIES

The British have announced that the total casualties in Java to December 21 comprised 18 British officers, four other ranks, six Indian officers and 166 other ranks killed, 876 British and Indians wounded, and 177 missing.

Indonesian snipers at Kramat today wounded five airborne troops who were conducting a search in which they took 25 prisoners and captured a quantity of ammunition. Extremists attacked an Allied brigade headquarters at Buitenzorg with grenades. Gurkhas clearing the north-eastern suburbs of Bandoeng took 70 prisoners. Father Christmas parachuted into a RAPWI camp at Buitenzorg today. Cheering children rushed to greet him and discovered that Santa Claus was a stuffed dummy filled with sweets from British Army and Air Force men, who gave up their rations.