"Goodbye Until Better Times" Is Dramatic Java Message

Northern Advocate, 9 March 1942, Page 3

"Goodbye Until Better Times " Is Dramatic Java Message

[British Official Wireless]

(Received 11.30 a.m.)

RUGBY, March 8

A DRAMATIC FAREWELL MESSAGE FROM TELEGRAPH R OFFICIALS OF THE NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES SAYS: “NOW WE WILL SHUT DOWN. LONG LIVE OUR QUEEN. GOODBYE UNTIL BETTERTIMES.”

The following official Dutch statement has been issued in London: “The Royal Netherlands Government emphatically denies stories emanating from enemy sources to the effect that Japan has been asked for armistice terms as the Japanese have at present full control over all channels of communication with the East Indies.

“It is expected that similar stories will be put out from various enemy quarters with the purpose of creating confusion. No credence should be attacked to any of them.”

Later news is given in a delayed message from Bandoeing, via New York, which quoted the Netherlands East Indies news agency.

This stated that Japanese troops attacked Bandoeing, and on Friday broke through the first line of defence on the north side of the volcano of Tangkuban Pragu, a beauty spot well known to tourists. Outnumbered, the Dutch had hoped to hold the Japanese in the mountainous country round Bandoeing, but the newspapers, in London regard the news of the break through as evidence that the position in western Java is now extremely critical.

The Dutch were continually harassed by Japanese aeroplanes, against which sufficient resistance was no longer possible.

Island Bisected

It is clear not only that the part of the island west of the mountain stronghold of Bandoeing is in Japanese hands, but that the island has been cut in two by the Japanese advance from Rembang to Jokyakarta. The Allied forces are grimly facing the invaders at Bantam in the extreme west. They are many times outnumbered air'd are suffering relentless dive-bombing. It is. estimated that the number of Japanese troops on the island is at least seven and possibly ten divisions.

Batavia Occupied

The Japanese have occupied

Batavia, the capital city of 600,000

inhabitants, following its evacuation by the Dutch. All important works were destroyed before the city was evacuated.

A communique says the city was evacuated in order to obtain greater freedom for the further defence of western Java.

There is little news from the Sourabaya sector, but the Japanese are raiding the city. The troops in this area have no means of communication with the outside world. Important installations have been destroyed. The Vichy radio declared that Japanese parachute troops had occupied the island of Madura, on the eastern extremity of Java.

Encirclement Claimed

Tokio claims that the forces defending Bandoeing are abandoning the town and retreating to the south. The enemy also claims that the town is encircled and that the fall of Java is a matter only of days. The Radio Corporation of America says the Indies wireless went off the air at 7.45 a.m. on Saturday. New York time (11.45 p.m. Saturday, N.Z. time). The Dutch operator abruptly said “Goodbye,” and no transmission has since been heard. Counter-Attack Fails A message despatched earlier by Reuters’ correspondent at Bandoeing said: “Events in Java are fast moving to a climax. The Japanese have landed considerable reinforcements and possess overwhelming superiority of everything. The Dutch counteroffensive, which it was hoped would nip the invasion in the bud, has failed.

With the forces available it was impossible to attempt positional defence, and the only chance of success lay in a counter-offensive. “The Dutch nearly succeeded, but their forces were so severely mauled that re-organisation for defence is difficult. The Japanese realise this and are pushing their attack to the utmost. “The great Java plain, along the north coast and about 35 miles deep, has been either evacuated or overrun. Batavia (subsequently evacuated . by the Dutch and occupied by the Japanese) was declared an open city. There is now no hope of reinforcements arriving, because no port in .java can be used. Similarly, there is no avenue of escape for the defenders. Therefore it can be expected that fighting will be waged desperately to the last.”

Using British Tanks

The Bandoeing correspondent of the “Daily Express” said: “The fate of Java is in the balance and at the moment it appears that the scales are weighed heavily in favour of the Japanese. The enemy forces are using British tanks captured in Malaya. “Dutch casualties so far are not heavy. The main defence force is intact. The units forced to withdraw are reforming and re-equipping in readiness for another counter-ofiensive. There are still some reserves behind the trained front line troops. Upon the speed with which the reforming process is achieved may hang the fate of Java.”

The Allied units now reforming, are said to include some Australians.