REGRET EXPRESSED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 287, 5 December 1945, Page 5

REGRET EXPRESSED

INDONESIANS ON RECENT MASSACRES MISUNDERSTANDING BLAMED Recd. 6 p.m. London, Dec. 3 The Indonesian Prime Minister, Sutan Sjahrir, has expressed his regret to the Allied Commander-in-Chief, General Christison, for happenings that took place at Tjakung Beka I and Ambarawa that resulted from a misunderstanding between the occupation troops and the people. Thus are explained away the massacre of the crew and passengers of the crashed Dakota at Tjakung Bekasi and the shooting of women internees at Ambarawa. Sjahrir stated that Elack Buffaloes, who are alleged to have murdered the occupants of the Dakota plane, are an offshoot, of the Japanese Black Dragon Society. Il is understood that Mr. van Mook, the Dutch Lieut.-Governor, is to leave Batavia on December 5 for Holland, where he will report on the Indonesian situation to the Home Government and make recommendations for future ac.ion in the Indies. The Dutch Red Cross hopes to move 50,000 civilians to Air tralia of an estimated 200,000 it would like to evacuate from the Netherlands East Indies, staled a Red Cross official. Hp added that trwe nerves of the civilian’s have reached breaking point and hundreds would collapse mentally and attempt suicide unless their evacuation was hastened. The Red Cross had appealed to the United States for help. MOVE BY BRITISH In the House of Commons to-day the Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr. McNeil, said he had instructed the British Ambas. ador at The Hague, to seek the views of the Dutch Government as soon as possible on the whole subject of the evacuation of civilians from Java. Mr. McNeil was replying to & question as to what steps were bein? taken to meet the appeal by the chairman of the Batavian Red Cross. He sa ? that the appeal had not yet reached him, but that he had received a copy of another appeal addressed to the Lieut.-Governor on November 26 by members of lhe women’s camps in Batavia regarding the evacuation of women and children, aged, and sick from Java.

Mr. McNeil added that it was not yet clear how many persons were involved. Meanwhile, the Government was urgently investigating certain possibilities relating to reception areas and shipping Facilities.

Major Lloyd George said: “The immediate danger is that a very large number of these women and children are apparently in the interior, and it isn’t a question of getting them out of the country so much as getting them to a safe part under British protection. About 200,000 are in danger of being kidnapped and butchered. The Batavian Red Cross is concerned lest some terrible tragedies occur if immediate action is not taken.

Mr. McNeil said that the difficulties were manifold, but the Government was seriously concerned with the project and it would not be easily halted.

Mr. H. G. Nicholson remarked that Britain as a whole would firmly support any definite and determined stops to rescue these people and would never forgive any half-heartedness or lack of decision.

Mr. McNeil replied: “There will be no half-hcartedness.”

An Allied communique says that extremists at Bandoenr i ioted during the \ieek-end, setting fire to houses and killing or kidnapping European occupants. The cruiser Sussex shelled Indonesian concentrations east and south of Samarang.