JAVAN STAND

Grey River Argus, 5 October 1945, Page 5

JAVAN STAND

FOR INDEPENDENCE Clash With Japanese BATAVIA, Oct. 3 Fifty were killed and 150 wounded in a clash between Japanese'troops and Indonesian Nationalists in the Sourabaya area. A communique issued by the Allied Command admits “slight” disturbances in which the commanding officer of the Seaforth battalion was mobbed, stoned and fired on before the crowd realised he was British. Fresh disorders broke out in Batavia last night but the city is now quieter than it has been for some time. It is stated a Japanese sentry who tried to stop a small outbreak of looting was torn to pieces. There are less reliable accounts of beatings up. There have been reports of stronger feelings in the middle of Java, and of flag-snatching incidents at Semarang and Sourabaya. The Dutch representative, Van Mook, conferred with General C'hristison. British and Allied Commander, for three hours in Batavia. The Netherlands information service issued a statement that no consultations were possible with the Javan leader, Dr. Soekarno. Japanese in .Batavia to-day were moving into luxury internment camps outside the city they have chosen for themselves. The Dutch Government persisted in absolute refusal to treat with persons appointed by the Japanese, and _ appealed to all Indonesians to continue in the common council for the new status of the empire. Implications of the Javan internal ferment caused by. the transfer of authority and Indonesians’ claims to independence cannot be grasped in Batavia itself, because the shops arc open and Japanese currency is still being used says Reuter’s correspondent. Batavia trams and walls bear slogans “freedom from Dutch colonisa"tion.”