INDONESIAN DEFENCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 August 1946, Page 8

INDONESIAN DEFENCE

DUTCH PLAN FOR FUSION OF FORCES NEW NATIONAL STATUS THE'HAGUE, August 8. The commander of . the . Dutch forces in the East Indies, Lieuten-ant-General Simon Spoor, who is visiting the Netherlands for discussions on the proposed fusing of tne Netherlands and Dutch East Indies armed, forces, said at a press conference that it would take five years after the conclusion of an agreement with the Indonesians to clear up “bad elements.” The chief reasons for strengthening the Dutch forces in Indonesia’were: First, the retsoration of law and order, second the replacement of British troops, and third the protection of Chinese and Indonesians friendly towards the Dutch. “The ‘war lord system’ still prevails in the Indonesian forces, especially iri Sumatra,” said LieutenantGeneral Spoor. “TRI (Indonesian Defence Force) is not a national army, but , a conglomeration of groups. We can certainly co-oper-ate with TRI if it is purged and placed under a single command, but "its tasks must be purely police work.” . Lieutenant-General Spoor said that when Indonesia acquired its new status it would share a common defence scheme with Holland against foreign aggression. British forces in Indonesia at present comprised one division in Java and one in Sumatra, There were six Dutch brigades in Java with a force of 15,000 men in outlying areas. Another division numbering 15,000 to 18,000, plus garrison troops, would be necessary to replace the British. Lieutenant-General Spoor alleged that German U-boat personnel were acting as instructors for the Indonesian fleet.