AMERICAN AID FOR JAVA

Southland Times, Issue 24680, 27 February 1942, Page 5

AMERICAN AID FOR JAVA

REINFORCEMENTS ON WAY REPORT ON VISIT TO WASHINGTON (Rec. 11 p.m.) BANDOENG, Feb. 26. Answering the question: Why has the United States not been more active? Dr Van Mook, the Lieutenant-Governor of the Netherlands East Indies, broadcasting on the results of his visit to the United States said: We must remember the difficulties that must be surmounted by a people hitherto inspired only by a desire for peace, and who after December 7 still had to commence building up a war machine. Much had

been done to increase production for the assistance of Britain, but when a country like the United States concentrates on waging its own war it is a very different thing from increasing production to assist others. Dr Van Mook assured the Dutch that the Americans were not under any illusion that the South-West Pacific was the least important ! theatre of war. Reinforcements were en route to the East Indies. Seme had arrived when he left the United States. He pointed out that the main Dutch force was stationed at Java. Defence plans never envisaged that the outer islands would be defended as would Java. “We are not alone in this, although, at the moment, we must mainly depend on our own strength. The united forces here will stay here, and supplies will continue.”