Anti-Dutch!

Australia Joins Egyptian "Wags"

and Indian "Reds" in Seeking

Close Relations With Indonesians

PACIFIC Islands neonle who depend for world news upon some Australian newspapers and Australian radio may get a cockeyed idea of recent events in Java. The radio because it is under Government domination, and the news papers mostly because of ignorance and prejudice, have generally taken sides with the Australian Dockers’ Union in their war against the Dutch.

The following summary is taken from a dozen reliable sources.

After more than six months of shuffling, lying and orevarication. the “Indonesian Republican Government” (created by the Japanese in Java out of war-time dis order) was informed by the Dutch, at the end of June that, if it did not forth with honour the Agreement it had en tered into at Cheribon, Dutch forces would take the steps necessary to restore order to the Territory.

Between Julv 1 and 15 the Indonesians made various nromises—and broke them all.

Thereupon, about Julv 16. the Dutch moved rapidly into action. Within a few days, the Indonesian “Army” was running in all directions. As town after town was occupied bv the Dutch, the native Indonesians and the Chinese communities (there are, in Java, 3,000,000 Chinese, who have been brutally treated by the Republicans) made demonstrations of welcome. There was only sporadic fight ing. The Indonesians however set fire to much property, including oil-wells in Sumatra. They murdered hundreds of Chinese, and countless numbers of natives whcm they suspected of sympatising with the Dutch.

JUST when it seemed that the Dutch would restore order in the Indies, in quick time, there were international complications.

The Indonesians are Communist-sup ported. So also are the dockworkers of Australia. The latter got other Red unions to join with them in imposing a ban '.<n everything Dutch, in order to help the Indonesians.

The bumble-footed trade union poli ticians who comprise the Australian Government instead of condemning this impudent declaration of war against Holland, actually made common cause with the Reds. They ran yelling to UNO, asking for “intervention in the dispute”— which meant nothing more or less than intervention against the Dutch.

The United Nations is moribund. Russia has used her veto in the Security Council so regularly and consistently during the past year that UNO has done virtually nothing it is paralysed by the Reds.

However, Australia’s move enthusi astically supported bv various Asiatic nations was not supported by Britain and other Empire countries: and it was set aside in favour of a proposal of mediation, not by the United Nations, but by the United States.

The UN demanded a “cease fire” while America investigated. Both Dutch and Indonesians ordered a cease fire on Aug ust 4; but fighting continued intermit tently thereafter. The Dutch charged the Indonesians with ignoring the order —and, if recent historv is any guide, they probably were right. The Indonesians are trying to force UNO to appoint an international commission of inquiry.

The American investigator was expected in Java about August 12.

Meanwhile the following things have happened:— The overwhelming majority of the native peoples in the Netherlands Indies outside Java, and a large prooortion of those in Java, and all the Chinese have expressed sympathy with the Dutch, and their hope that the latter will restore order in the country.

Having found that all they could do for the Indonesians was cancelled out by the Indonesians’ own untrustworthiness, the Labour and other parties of the Left, in Holland, placed themselves wholly be hind the Dutch Government, in carrying on its task in Java.

Greatly embarrassed by repercussions from the ban on Dutch shipping, the Australian Prime Minister demanded at least a part-removal of the ban; and, when this paper went to press, he was getting into holts with the various Red ruled unions on the matter.

“Wog” mobs in Egypt, anti-British elements in India, and Communists generally, were making common cause with Australia in a. campaign against the Dutch. All other Western European countries were either silent, or were sym pathetic with the Dutch.

The people of the Commonwealth with their “White Australia” complex, must feel very happy about the associations to which they have been committed by a combina tion of aggressive Communist unions and Government weakness!