DUTCH PLAN FOR JAVA

Evening Star, Issue 25633, 6 November 1945, Page 5

DUTCH PLAN FOR JAVA

20,000 TROOPS BEFORE CHRISTMAS (Rec. 12.15 p.m.) BATAVIA, Nov. 5. Dutch officials are understood to be considering a plan to control a small part of West Java from which they could extend their efforts to end Nationalist resistance, says the Associated Press correspondent in Batavia. It is unofficially estimated that the Dutch intend to bring in 20,000 reinforcements before Christmas. The British apparently have not decided whether to fight, to return the island empire to the Dutch or merely «to continue to disarm the Japanese, rescue internees and defend themselves.

The Dutch will not accept American mediation because they fear that the Russians, French, and Chinese may also wish to have a finger in the pie. Hilversum radio says the Dutch Government issued the following statement, after receipt of a requested report from Dr Van Mook on the presence of Dr Soekarno at the talks in Batavia last week: “ The Netherlands Government does not consider it in the public interest to go into the matter. The attitude of the Government remains unchanged.”