INDIES ISLANDS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21806, 31 August 1945, Page 3

INDIES ISLANDS

AUSTRALIAN CONTROL SURRENDER CEREMONY FULL PARTICIPATION CANBERRA, Aug. 30. Australia will take the initial responsibility in the East Indies for Borneo, Timor and Ambon. Announcing this in the House of Representatives, the Prime Minister, Mr. J. B. Chifley, said that the division of responsibility for other areas south of the Philippines was still under discussion. The reoccupation of Borneo, Timor and Ambon would be carried out in stages, beginning as soon as the instrument of surrender was signed by Japan. Mr. Chifley said it had been made clear to the British Government that a contribution for the occupation of Japan was being made by the Australian commander, who would be responsible only to the Supreme Allied Command. The composite Australian force would have the same status as the occuoation forces being supplied by the United States, Britain, China and Russia.

Mr. Chifley said the military commitments accepted by the Commonwealth were participation in the occupation of Japan and Singapore and the occupation of key areas of enemy-held territories within the areas for which Australia had accepted responsibility to secure effective conti'ol and enforce the surrender and disarmament of the Japanese forces in those areas. Emphasising that Australia’s capacity to accept additional respons.bilities were limited, Mr. Chifley said the British Government intended to make available as soon as possible British and Dutch forces from South-East Asia Command to relieve the Australian forces in territories in which Australia had assumed the initial responsibility. Except in Papua and Australian-man-dated territories, Australia would refrain from any extensions of its present responsibilities for civil affairs. Mr Chifley gave the House details of Australia’s struggle for recognition as a major Pacific Power and a full voice in arranging the peace terms for Japan Australia, he said, had won her point and would sign the instrument of surrender in Tokio on Sunday on the same footing as the four Big Powers. Recounting the background to Australia’s discontent with the role allotted to it in the early stages of the Japanese surrender, Mr Chifley said: “Throughout the war with Japan the Australian Government had consistently claimed the part of a principal Power in the Pacific. Before the Japanese signified their willingness to end the war we sent a general statement of our view? of the treatment of Japan. Particulai'ly we felt that the Emperor and the whole Imperial and militarist system and economic dictatorship of a few great concerns must be discredited and complete reformation of Japans internal structure brought about “Immediately we saw that the Japanese were trying to preserve the Emperor’s position we sent a strong expression of view that no person or institution, not even the Emperor, should have immunity from the responsibility for Japanese aggression and war crimes. “We also made it clear that we were entitled to claim a full and direct voice in decisions regarding Japan’s future and a due part in the execution of these decisions.” Mr. Chifley said Australia had been kept informed throughout by the Dominions Office and ministers abroad, but events had frequently moved fast and there was no waste of time for adequate consideration of Australia s suggestions even wnen these were received before actual decisions had been made. "