ENEMY CONTROL OF JAVA

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23318, 29 September 1945, Page 5

ENEMY CONTROL OF JAVA

“ Bizzare Situation ” LONDON, September 27. The Japanese are still very much in control of Java, says the correspondent of the ‘’Daily Express” cabling from Batavia. The local population and released war prisoners, thousands of whom are roaming about—at least those who are not still working for the Japanese—are puzzled by this bizzare situation in which we still have to be very polite to the Japanese. The correspondent says: ‘‘We still have to consort daily and accept orders from grinning apes who maltreated our prisoners. British money is not accepted anywhere in Java, only artistic Japanese paper money which the Japanese have been rolling off the printing presses literally by the ton.

The Japanese, who have magnanimously provided a few cars for the use of British military officials, are still racing round the island in expensive cars stolen from wealthy Dutchmen. “We are forced to be polite to the Japanese, on whom we depend for most things, because there is only a British military organisation in Java for releasing war prisoners. There is nominally a small British naval force controlling the island from Batavia Harbour, but nothing can be done until the British and Dutch forces arrive.