East Indies

Patient Work By Dutch Now Beginning to Show Happy Results

rE half-hearted attempts of United Nations representatives to interfere in the Dutch campaign for restoring orderliness to the Netherlands Indies have more or less petered out. They were undertaken only at the instigation of certain Socialist Governments —like that of Australia, which obeyed the directions of the dock workers’ union, which in turn is under the domination of pro- Indonesian Communists.

A fact-finding committee from UNO, which went to the Indies to ascertain which side disobeyed the UNO “Cease Fire”—the Dutch, or the rebel Javanese set-un —reported that both disobeyed; which meant that the situation was “As you were.” The Socialists yelled for action, but the world generally became bored with the whole “Indonesian prob lem.”

Meanwhile, slowly, steadily and pati ently, the Dutch are policing the archi pelago, restoring order and industry in most of the area, and are driving the so-called Republican Government (the insurgent, Communist-dominated Java nese) into a part of Java which weekly decreases in size. If they are given a reasonable chance, they soon will wipe outthe Republican organisation (or dis organisation) altogether, and peace and reasonable comfort will return to the archipelago.

It is clear that the Dutch are honour ing their pledge, that they eventually will establish in the Netherlands! Indies a Federal form of Indonesian self-govern ment, to be part of the Dutch Empire.

They have encouraged the formation of independent administrations in various sections of the Indies—there now are autonomous governments in Borneo, in East Indonesia, in Sumatra and, in West Java, steps are being taken to form an other. All except the “Republicans” (Central and Southern Java) adhere to the Dutch, and are co-operating with the Dutch quite happilv in establishing the Federation.

RESTORATION of industries is pro ceeding and commerce is beginning to look healthy.

Dutch, Indonesian and American in vestors are co-operating in the develop ment of nickel mines in the Kollaka district of the South Celebes The Unilever company is working with the Dutch on a plan for growing peanuts on the island of Halmahera, and in Sorong (Dutch New Guinea). Another project is the construction of sugar factories in the Southwest Celebes, with a capacity of 20,000 tons per harvest. The Dutch have resumed the Sadang irrigation scheme in Southwest Celebes, planned to irrigate 175,000 acres and lift rice pro duction from 470,000 to 600.000 tons In recent months, about 25,000 labourers (out of 100,000 formerly employed there) have returned to the Sumatra tobacco plantations on Sumatra’s east coast.

If only the bumble-footed noliticians svill keep themselves out of the picture, md let the Dutch handle the situation, peace and order may soon be restored to :his important section of Indonesia.

Mr. Gilbert Renton returned to Rabaul ast week, after a quick trio to England.

Je, like many others, is filled with ad miration for the spirit of old England rle has news of Dr. Watch, who has set ded in Uganda, South Africa. The Doctor minks Uganda a mighty fine country and )emg better governed than New Guinea,’