PUPPET OF JAPANESE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25964, 3 October 1945, Page 5

PUPPET OF JAPANESE

DUTCH VIEW OF SOEKARNO (Special) WELLINGTON, Oct. 2. The following statement has been received from the Netherlands Government Information Office, The Hague: “The Allied Supreme Commander in South-east Asia has decided that the occupation of Java will remain restricted for the time being to the cities of Batavia and Sourabaya. This leaves open the question of who is to exercise authority over the remaining part of the island. It is, of course, impossible to leave such authority to the Japanese, who will have to be disarmed and made prisoners of war. The Dutch are not yet able to take over this authority, the reason being, as is well known, that the European part of the kingdom was only recently liberated and the formation and transport of new military units have been continually slowed down by the war and the demobilisation claims of the major Allies.

“The difficulties which have arisen as a consequence probably explain the tendency which, according to press reports, exists in certain British circles to recognise the so-called Soekarno Government as a de facto government and persuade us to open discussions with it. The Netherlands Government cannot do this. Soekarno allowed himself to be the tool and puppet of the Japanese, from whom he accepted a high Japanese imperial award. This man. with his Fascist tendencies, has systematically preached hatred of the Allies. One of his

slogans was, 'We will iron England out, we will break America with a crowbar.’ “ The representatives of lawful authority cannot sit at a conference table with this man, who may have certain demagogic gifts, but has proved to be a mere opportunist in choosing th 6 means to attain his ends. All that has been said and done during the last few days in connection with the development of events in the Netherlands East Indies will not dissuade the Netherlands Government from a wellconsidered policy as, inter alia, laia down in the well-known address of Queen Wilhelmina on December 7. 1942. In this address her Majesty announced the complete partnership of the Netherlands Indies in the kingdom and freedom of conduct regarding internal affairs. Indonesian nationalists of all shades have shown themselves fully prepared to co-operate with this policy, which remains unchanged.”