DUTCH OPPOSED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21924, 19 January 1946, Page 5

DUTCH OPPOSED

BRITISH SENTIMENT FRICTION INCREASES “AN UNDECLARED WAR" (9 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 18. “Australia is fighting an undeclared war with us,” said a Dutch naval officer interviewed by Reuter’s correspondent in Batavia. The naval officer said that official Dutch quarters tended to be rather critical of Australia. It was alleged that Australian troops in Borneo and elsewhere in the Netherlands East Indies had encouraged the anti-Dutch elements, even to selling their arm?. The correspondent said that the actioft by .the- British commander, General Christison, to stem friction between the occupying troops and the Dutch residents had drawn attention to the growing discontent by the ordinary Dutch population with the handling of the Java situation by Holland’s Allies. General Christison recently appealed in a confidential circular to officers above the rank of major for a more sympathetic attitude towards the Dutch.

A certain amount of anti-Dutch criticism is also arising because of discontent among the British troops at their retention overseas. Responsible Dutch quarters admit the existence of an anti-British feeling among _ the Dutch, partly because Britain's position in Java is not fully understood. Dutch citizens recently released from internment complain that the Dutch are virtually powerless in the _ land they regard as Netherlands territory.