WHARF VICTORY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21935, 1 February 1946, Page 3

WHARF VICTORY

SHIP FOR INDIES

LOADING ALLOWED

AUSTRALIAN PORTS

CONTROL OF DISTRIBUTION (11 a m.) SYDNEY, Feb. 1. Following discussions which have reached the highest plane possible in Australia, the waterside workers still dominate the situation in their venture into the realm of international politics.

Distribution by British

An agreement has been concluded between the Federal Attorney-General, Dr. H. L. Evatt. and the Dutch Minister to Australia, Baron van Aarsen. that the stores carried by a Dutch ship to the Netherlands Fast Indies shall be distributed under British control. The vessel, which is one of those immobilised in Australian ports since the waterside workers refused to load them, will now be permitted by the watersiders to leave for Java with relief supplies. The distribution will be closely watched and, after the distribution of the cargo, a report will go forward to the unions and the Australian Council of Trades Unions. If the reoort is favourable, four other ships with similar cargoes will be manned. It. is very obvious that the people under scrutiny during the distribution will be the Dutch authorities and not the Indonesian rebels. Big Cargoes Held Up The spokesmen of the unions have made it very plain that they favour Soekarno's Government and have nothing but distrust and suspicion for the Dutch who were their country's Allies. The Netherlands East Indies turned to Australia to obtain vitallv needed medical supplies tools, clothing and food with which to commence the long road back after years of Japanese occupation. Last September, with over 40.000 tons of vital supplies waiting to reach the starving population in the Indies, the Australian waterside workers refused to load the ships. Among the allegations that were then made was a statement that the cargoes contained arms and ammunition for Dutch troops who were then endeavouring to hold the rebels in check and thus save the atrocities attendant on mob rule. The main objection of these men was that any equipment might be used by the Dutch in the suppression of the Indonesian revolt.

At one time during the lengthy discussions which followed, the watersiders expressed themselves as prepared to work on ships if the permission of Dr. Soekarno's Government wa s obtained. Just how this was to be done was not apparently considered by the men who cannot possibly have any first-hand knowledge of the events of the Lori sing or the methods by which it is being carried on. Watersiders Take Sides

The watersiders took sides in the dispute by the shrewd use of their position in the transport bottleneck, and no supplies went forward. If this action dashed with the international policy of the Australian Government, ;reiv now was the time for the Commonwealth to step in. Australia waited for decisive action on the part of the Federal Government. That is nearly five months ago and Australia is still waiting. Dr. Evatt’s recent action was apparently no more than to put before Baron van Aarsen the conditions under which the 'watersiders would be pleased to work the ship. The .struggles of the Dutch representatives to get supplies away have been desperate. It is now months since they denied the accusation that the cargoes handled contained munitions of war. Their story is that all supplies ordered are urgently needed by a population threatened with disease and starvation. They have pledged themselves to distribute the supplies fairly, pointing out that the people faced with starvation are Indonesians in .the overwhelming majority. It is doubtful whether these millions of Indonesian villagers are internationally minded enough to thank their Australian sympathisers, despite the dire consequences to themselves. Titiful Plight While the watersiders' most recent dictum was being made known, the liner Tjibadak was berthing at Sydney with a pitiful cargo of women and children evacuees from Indonesian prison camps. Hot food had to be rushed to the wharf in lorries. Many passengers were unable to walk because of beriberi and other deficiency diseases. Australian food in Java might at least have provided these people with palatable meals during the three weeks’ voyage. But they are not Indonesians. They are merely members of a race which did what it could for Australia and the Allies when (he yellow tide flowed southward. The marks they bear show they were no allies of Japan. Following their success in dealing with the Dutch problem in the East Indies it will be interesting to follow the course of the next international intrusion of Australia's watersiders.