Dutch Decision for Indonesian Autonomy

Grey River Argus, 25 August 1949, Page 5

Dutch Decision for Indonesian Autonomy

THE HAGUE, Aug. 23 The Dutch Prime Minister, Dr W.lllhem** Drees, opened here a roundtable conference which is to decide the future of Indonesia. He said the Netherlands had taken an irrevocable resolution to transfer to the sovereignty of Indonesia to the United States of Indonesia. . Dr Drees added: “This decision does not rest on impulse or sentiment, nor on unwilling acquiescence in a superiority of circumstances, but on a gradually ripened realisation that, on these lines, the interests of the Netherlands and of Indonesia and a beneficial co-operation between these two countries could best be promoted.” Dr Drees said that, if the conference led to a satisfactory agreement, it would open the door to an independent and sovereign Indonesian national existence and to the cooperation of both peoples on the basis of freedom and friendship. Much would have to be forgotten on both sides and everything should be carefully avoided at the conference that hurt or nourished distrust. The actual fight with weapons, as well as propaganda, must cease, he sa ! d. The possibilities of a successful conference were great.