FUTURE OF JAVA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 304, 26 December 1945, Page 5

FUTURE OF JAVA

SELF-GOVERNMENT INDONESIAN REGIME IS POPULAR Recd. 6 p.m. London. Dec. 24. The Indonesian Government is tremendously popular and has the ‘ upport of moderates, extremists, women’s groups, and youth movements from every party in Java, says the Associated Press correspondent at Batavia, who accompanied Dr. Soekarno, Dr. S.iarhir, and other members of the Cabinet on a tour of the 1 Island. The party v;.;ited Dutch and Japanese internment camps, and saw many mass meetings, inspected thousands of youths drilling with everything from machine-guns to wood-carved tommy-guns. The correspondent considers that the internees could be removed from the interior at an early date. The Dutch are not ill-treated, but lack sufficient food and medicine. The Japanese were well fed. They are disarmed, but probably in some cases still are helping to train the Indonesians.

The correspondent adds: “The Indonesians are now sufficiently armed and disciplined to ensure the safe delivery of all Japanese and Dutch to Allied hands. The Indonesians are running the country under great handicaps, but say they would welcome Dutch and Eurasian citizens and would compensate property owners who elected to leave Java.

The 21-year-old Sultan Solo, one of Java’s richest and: most influential princes, accompanied the Soekarno party, and three other princes pledged allegiance during the tour, despite the fact that a socialistic selfgovernment. would probably end their reign.

Dr. Soekarno said the most pleasant surprise of the tour was the readiness with which extremists in east Java and elsewhere pledged full support fop the Government. The Lieutenant-Governor of the Netherlands East Indies, Dr. van Mook, who went to Holland to report to his Government, is reported to have told the Dutch Cabinet that full recognition for the Sjalhrir (Indonesian > Government is the only solution of th« Indonesian problem, says the Associated Press correspondent at Amsterdam. Dr. van Mook emphasised that nothing less would satisfy the Indonesians, who would not accept a limited form of self-government within the Dutch Empire, which Queen Wilhelmina promised on December 12, 1942. The Indonesian Republican Government has undertaken to conduct safelv and deliver to the Allies all R.A.P.W.I. personnel in central and east Java.

Indonesian snipers at Kramat today wounded five airborne troops who were conducting a search in which they took 25 prisoners and captured a quantity of ammunition. Extremists attacked an Allied brigade headquarters at Buitenzorg. with grenades. Gurkhas, clearing the north-eastern suburbs of Bandoeng, took 70 prisoners. “Father Christmas” parachuted into the R.A.P.W.I. camp at Buitenzor today, and cheering children rushed to greet him. They discovered “Santa” was a stuffed dummy filled with sweets from British Army and Air Force men who gave up their rations. BRITISH CASUALTIES IN JAVA The British announced that the total casualties in Java to December 21 comprised. 18 British officers and four other ranks, six Indian officers and 166 other ranks, killed; 876 British and Indians wounded, and 177 missing.