JAVA PREMIER

Grey River Argus, 29 January 1946, Page 5

JAVA PREMIER

Wants Control of Country

problem of disarming JAPANESE LONDON, Jan. 27 An Australian Press correspondent at Batavia stated:. The situation here is most confused. Premier S?ahrir is worried over dissension jn Indonesian Nationalist cl^ le J cause of persistent pressure by -he more extreme elements. Ampri _ Sjahrir, to-day, denied the can report which quo tea u saving the Indonesians might have a lot of trouble in disarming evacuating Japanese if left Java. Sjahrir stated what ne had said was that any tm withdrawal of British W & a Indonesia must be. coupledwithi a demand for disarming of the Japa ese. This country should be ha™ over to T.K.R., the Indonesian Aimy. If that duty were handed the Indonesians, it would be P for the British to leave at any t roe. The correspondent said: The situa tion will be a severe test for Sir Clark-Kerr who has left Moscow on the first stage of his flight to it is not expected that Dr. van iviook will meet Sjahrir before Sir A. Ciai » Kerr arrives. . Lieut.-General Christison, Com mander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in Java, will leave the Netherlands East Indies shortly to take up the Northern Command in Britain. He will be succeeded by Lieut.General Sir Montague Stopford, who as commanler of the British- 12tn Army, became Military Admimstiator of Burma. . The Moscow paper, “Pravda in a leading article said: Japanese troops under British command have oeen actively employed in military operations against the Indonesians. Bntisn Press statements that the presence of British troops in Indonesia is due to the necessity of disarming the Japanese are false. CHANGE IN BRITISH COMMAND. TRIBUTES' TO GEN. CHRISTISON (Rec. 11.50) BATAVIA, Jan. 28. Dr Van Mook regrets that he has been unable, as yet, to issue any definite statement, says an official Dutch communique. “Immediately after his arrival Dr Van Mook resumed talks with his advisers in order to obtain as complete a view of the situation as possible. He wishes to emphasise, upon the termination of General Christison’s assignment, valuable assistance received in an extremely difficult period in the history of this country, and the friendliness that has characterised their mutual contacts.” NATIVE TRIBUTE CHRISTISON (Rec. 9.50) BATAVIA, Jan. 27 The Java Republican Premier, Sutan Sjahrir, commented' on General Christison’s retirement. He said. “General Christison has been an agreeable man, and been very fair in his dealings with us. He has been in a most difficult position, with so much inbolved politcally, and he has had to take orders from the Foreign Office. There has been some unfortunate happenings for, which I do not think he should be blamed — the Sourabaya trouble, the burning of Bekassi, and certain other things.”