DUTCH INDIES

Grey River Argus, 12 May 1943, Page 2

DUTCH INDIES

POST-WAR PLANS

WELLINGTON', May 6. At a luncheon given bv the American Association of Commerce and Industry at the Commodore Hotel. New York. in honour of Dr H. J. van Mook, Minister for the Colonies in the Netherlands Government and former Lieutenant Governor-General of the Netherlands East Indies, Dr van Mook predicted new forms of co-operation between the Government and business life in the Netherlands East Indies after the war. Even though the Netherlands East Indies would not be confronted by vast problems in changing over from war industry to peace industries, he slated, they would have to cope with equally difficult problems of reconstruction. Their poverty after the war would force them to concentrate on the importation of capital goods and limit their imports to consumer goods. They would have to build up their exports again and reconstruct their well-balanced internal agricultural economy. They would have to be party to any system of world control of raw materials and would again be faced by the pressing, problem of over-production. necessitating the colonisation of waste lands for the expansion of industry. It would be of as great importance to prepare systematically for the problems of peace as it had been to prepare for those of war. It might, perhaps, even be more important, because in war there was at least unity of purpose lack of preparation for peace might result in chaos. To create such unity of purpose under peacetime conditions a great deal of discussion was still needed for the enlightenment and education of the public. Replying to questions, Dr van Mook revealed that estimates were being ’prepared of the materials ■ required for the reconstruction of the Netherlands East Indies. He also indicated his belief that the Axis nations should be barred access to raw materials which would aid in rebuilding their war machines. Asked how long it would take to resume Netherlands East Indies exports after the war, he said that rubber and tin could be exported practically immediately after the liberation "of the country. Oil exports, however, could not be resumed for two or three years, as the wells and refineries would have to be reconstructed.

Asked what he thought of the effectiveness of the Japanese “Asia for Asiatics” propaganda, Dr van Mook said that Indonesians saw themselves unable to send their children to school; they saw rising prices and falling wages. Indonesians were not such fools as not to understand what "V meant.