VIRTUAL STATE OF WAR

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23347, 2 November 1945, Page 5

VIRTUAL STATE OF WAR

BRITISH AND JAVA EXTREMISTS Ships And Planes Rush To Sourabaya Bv Telegraph —N Z Pre? l - Assn -Copvrigtr (7.30 p.m.) BATAVIA, Oct. 31. A virtual state of war exists in Java between the British and Indonesian extremists, says the Batavia correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency. The British are expected to abandon the comparatively kid-glove methods they have so far adopted in the major task of disarming the Japanese. All available British warships and aircraft are rushing to Sourabaya to evacuate Euroncan women and children. Royal Air Force Thunderbolts were ordered out of Batavia this afternoon and ordered to attack any Indonesian force attempting to cross a line outside Mageland (Central Java). A large force of armed Indonesians is advancing towards Magelang, which is on the strategic road leading to Semarang, where serious trouble has already' occurred. Dr. Soekarno (Indonesian “President”) attempted to leave Batavia by air for an unkndwn destination this afternoon, but British intelligence officers intercepted him at Batavia airport and instructed him in future to obey British orders. Dr. Soekarno is to broadcast to-night from Batavia. The radio script will be dictated by the British. Dr. Soekarno announced that his Cabinet will meet Dr. H. van Mook (Dutch Lieutenant-Governor) informally to-night in Lieutenant-General Sir Philip Christison’s residence. The Australian correspondent of the Associated Press reports that the whole Indonesian Cabinet and Working Committee held a number of meetings this afternoon, at which the uppermost subject was the disquieting disorders culminating in Brigadier A. W. F. Mallaby’s death, which are testing the Cabinet’s claim to authority to the full and have given the whole Indonesian cause a tremendous jolt. In an interview Dr. Soekarno said he had promised Sir Philip Christison frank co-operation with the British forces to maintain law and order. Dr. Soekarno added: "The smallest clash is enough to summon me to the spot and deal with it myself.” Mr Sjarifuddin (“Minister of Information”) interposed to say: “The outbreaks have been nonsensical, because we must co-operate with the British forces. There is no reason why we should fight them. It is a sad thing for us, because we parted in a spirit of goodwill after the conference in Sourabaya.”

Cause of Excitement

Dr. Soekarno said excitement had been caused by the thought that the British forces had been sent as precursors of the Netherlands East Indies Civil Administration. “I learnt to my greatest regret after my return to Batavia that fighting had been revived and Brigadier Mallaby. whose bravery I witnessed and honoured at Sourabaya, had become a victim of the disorders. We have ordered the fighting to stop and shall take appropriate measures to master the situation, while I shall keep myself in closest co-operation with the Allied army.” A British Army spokesman said that no further news of the circumstances of Brigadier Mallaby’s death had been received. All that was known was that Brigadier Mallaby passed through the Indonesian lines on his way to investigate the shootings and was killed by the mob. It is still not known how. The two officers who escaped with the news apparently found their way to the port area this morning, after being out all night, and reported to the Navy, which passed on the message. Lieutenant-General Christison is reported as saying that many Indonesians in the Sourabaya fighting wore Japanese uniforms and some, if not all, were led by German or Jaoanese officers. Reports from Sourabaya say that all is quiet there. Firing has ceased and the regrouping for better protection of women and children in Rapwi (Release of Allied Prisoners of War and Internees) camps is proceeding. A clash developed between Gurkhas and Indonesians at Magelang, where there are three Rapwi camps. Dr. Soekarno and Mr Sjarifuddin are flying there to-morrow morning to restore order. „ , „ Mr G W. Dieuwhof, a Red Cross official, who has just arrived in Batavia from The Hague, stated that nearly 90 per cent of the total of 2a0.000 Europeans in the Netherlands East Indies are now acounted for. This figure included former prisoners awaiting evacuation from Bangkok, Singapore and Manila.