Dead) Expose Betrayal of

American Journalists (All Now Dead) Expose Betrayal of Dutch In Indies

THE destruction, in India, in July, of a large Dutch plane, and the death therein of the 13 American journal ists returning from Batavia, adds one more striking chapter to the) strange post-war history of the Netherlands Indies.

When the Japanese surrendered in 1945, the Americans left to the British (primarily, Britain and Australia) the task of helping the Dutch to restore order in the East Indies. Holland had just been released from German occupation, and needed assistance: there was a large and dangerous Japanese force occupying Indonesia.

But Britain just then had a general election, and went Socialist. Australia, already, was Socialist; and the two Gov ernments made common cause in rela tion to Indonesia. British policy never has been explained, but the facts are clear.

The Japanese had set up in Java what they were pleased to call an “Indonesian republic”, which was intensely nationalist and anti-European, and close to being Communist. Britain and Australia would not do anything to help the Dutch to resume control in the Netherlands Indies unless the Dutch negotiated with the “Republic of Indonesia”.

The Dutch were not ready to negotiate.

They were entitled to go back to the East Indies and take control. They had been there for nearly 350 years; they had de veloped the vast archipelagoes from a disunited collection of small tribes into a rich and prosperous territory, so well organised and equipped that, until the Jap invasion, it was held up to the world as a model of colonial administration.

Under good rule, the native population had increased enormously. The Dutch, as part of their settled policy, were slowly and steadily bringing those Indonesian people into the realm of self-government.

But the British and Australian Social ists treated the Dutch as if they were a nation of cut-throat exploiters, who had come recently to Indonesia, to hold the natives in some form of semi slavery.

AS soon as they restored order in Holland, the Dutch began to send troops and equipment to the Indies.

They were resisted by the Socialist Gov ernments, and interfered with by mischief-making elements in the United Nations.

It is a long and complicated history, that of the Netherlands Indies in 1945- 49, but it amounts to nothing more or less than the sacrifice of the Dutch to the Brown Brother ideals of the Socialist elements in Britain, Australia and the United Nations. The Dutch were ham strung at every turn, in their efforts to get back their valuable East Indies Terri tories; and the bleating little men of the so-called Republic—pro-Jap, anti- European, undependable and unscrupu lous, and more or less Red—were given help and encouragement.

Until 1949, the Dutch fought back sturdily. Late in 1948 it appeared that, except for Java, they had gained com plete control over all the archipelagoes, where their efficient and incorruptible rule really was welcomed by all classes.

And the '“republican government”, con fined to central and western Java, seemed to be at an end.

Then United Nation influences re asserted themselves. We do not know exactly what happened after the end of 1948, but we do know that there was a revolution within the Dutch Administra tion. Under the direction of the UN Security Council, apparently, the Dutch administrators who had shown strength and determination against the Javanese rebels were shipped home, the “republi can” leaders were brought back from gaol and elsewhere, and a completely new set-up, with Brown Brother appeasement as its policy, began to function.

Here is the text of a communique, issued by the appeasers in Batavia on July 19: “Dr. van Royen” (who seems to be the head of the new Dutch Administra tion) “and some members of the Dutch Delegation in Batavia, visited Djokjakarta, the Republican capital, yesterday, and had an interview with President Soekarno

and Vice-President Hatta. President Soekarno entertained Dr. van Royen and his party at dinner, which was also at tended by the Republican Cabinet and Delegation.”

Note the use of the terms “Republic” and “President” and “Republican capital” —evidence of what is almost a complete surrender to the rebels.

Dr. van Royen made a statement to the rebel press bureau in Djokjakarta, expressing his belief that the transfer of government to the United States of In donesia would be complete by the end of 1949.

RIGHT from 1946, the United States has taken no interest in affairs in the Netherlands Indies —everything was left to the United Nations. But, little by little, something of the truth about the betrayal of the Dutch has seeped through to the Americans, and finally that important press delegation was sent into Indonesia in June. The American journalists made a thorough investigation, and what they found was not flattering to the British Socialist Governments or the blundering idealists of the United Nations.

They got their despatches away to their newspapers; but, before they could return home, they were all killed—one of the greatest tragedies of the kind ever recorded.

Those press despatches published between June and July, have been collected, and the following is a summary of them. They provide an illuminating commentary on what has been happen ing in the Netherlands Indies.

The matter is of vital import to all European and Oceanic communities south

of the equator. The Indonesian archi pelagoes, under Asiatic, anti-European and Communist control clearly will pro vide overcrowded Asia with easy access to under-populated Australia, and South Pacific countries generally.

IT is evident that the American news papermen, most of whom were star reporters in their own country, had come to the almost unanimous conclusion that the United States and the United

Nations misjudged the Indonesian prob lem.

A leader which appeared in the Scripps- Howard newspapers of 14th July vigorously attacked the American policy in dealing with the Indonesian question.

According to these papers, Leftist elements were favoured at the expense of the moderates.

Two of the syndicate’s star reporters, W. H. Newton and S. Burton-Heath, ex

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•For developments since July 19, see end of this article.

pressed the opinion that the USA has so far supported the least democratic

and most anti-Western political powers in Indonesia.

H. R. Knickerbocker expressed his views in the following words:— “For reasons which I cannot under stand, Holland has continuously been chased around and worried by the UN and the USA. This was a risky thing to do. Isn’t it so that everybody who is confronted with today’s complicated world problems has to find out first of all Moscow’s intentions? In this case, Moscow’s aim was ‘the Dutch out of Indonesia.’ Ours should have been directly opposed to this.’’

W. H. Newton, in cables to “World Telegram”, repeatedly accused the UN Commission in Indonesia of censoring and altering the reports by military ob servers in the field for the purpose of making them fit in with the views of the UN and the State Department.

He related a report of March 11, 1949, on the wounding of American and British officers after they had been ambushed.

The investigation commission, consisting of an Australian Captain, a Belgian Lieutenant-Colonel, a French Colonel and an American Major, reported unani mously that the fateful shots had been fired by Republican troops. This con clusion was changed into —“It has not been possible to ascertain their identity.”

Newton reports that arms of Com munist origin are being smuggled into Indonesia, where they are being kept in readiness for the final battle for the con trol of the islands, as soon as the Dutch troops have left. “The Dutch,” says Newton, “cannot occupy the ports through which they know these arms enter the country, because they are pre vented from taking action by instructions from the UN. Temporarily, the Com munists in Indonesia make a show of loyalty to the Republican Government . “Practically no soldier here, in cluding the British, the Australians, the French, the Belgians and the Americans, together with the Dutch, is of the opinion that the Republican forces will be able to control the situation in Sumatra when the Dutch have left.”

THE report of former Australian UN Military Observer in Indonesia. Cap tain G. C. Williams, mentioned by Willian Newton, is as follows: “These are impressions of the present trouble as seen by me whilst attached to the UNCI from July, 1948, to March, 1949. I have collected information on matters prior to my arrival from various histories of a non-military nature, written by men of different nationalities, but their words have not influenced me.

I had formed my opinion early after my arrival, and only bought the books after my tour of duty had terminated.”

After giving an historical survey of the Indonesian situation, Williams said Sukarno tried to get around the Linggardjati Agreement from the day it was signed. After two years of dis cussions, he remained as unreliable as ever. He wanted to form the ruling power in entire Indonesia, in spite of strong opposition in various other territories Describing the first Dutch police action.

Williams said Dutch troops did not meet “stiff opposition by fanatical millions but were, on the contrary, welcomed by the civilian population.

“And the same thing happened again, continued violations of the truce by the Republicans, lack of control oyer their armed forces, and the impossible task to have them agree to reasonable con ditions. Sukarno had wrung concession after concession from the Dutch and started to apply the same tactics again.

Recognition by the Security Council and support from his Eastern neighbors made him arrogant, and discussions

between his ministers and the Dutch re mained fruitless because he refused to agree to any plan that was submitted.

Kidnapping, infiltrations, robbery and murder took place continuously, and this led to the second police action which started on December 19, 1948. The Dutch cannot be blamed for this action. They were forced to do it, and no other country could have put up with the con ditions any longer.”

Captain Williams then gave a short description of the second police action and pointed to the fact that Jogjakarta was occupied fifteen hours after the start of the action. He said Dutch troops and the Netherlands administration were welcomed in all places which he had visited; and he continued: “The Dutch are there and if the regu lation of the affair is left to them they are able to do it. They are the only people who can do it. To leave the country a prey to those with Communist tendencies is a serious threat to Aus- Wiliiams said that no one “would know who would support who” in Indonesia until controlled elections have been held, but that he personally opined that Suk arno could not count on more than ten per cent, of the votes, while these per sons mostly would be Japanese-trained elements.

Williams said he was convinced the Dutch have a warm regard for the In donesian people. He also said he re gretted that the Security Council had interefered. If the Security Council should now withdraw its support for Sukarno, he, as well as his ministers, would “smartly fall into line” with the rest of Indonesia and the people would get peace, Williams concluded.

It is most significant that this most important report by an Australian officer was never published by the Australian Socialist Government, and would not

have been known had it not been un earthed by the Americans.

IN the last of a series of articles in the newspapers of the Scripps-Howard group, S. Burton-Heath wrote that the group of American journalists in In donesia had tried unsuccessfully to dis cover who had supplied the US State Department with information regard ing its policy of supporting the Republic instead of the Federalists.

Mr. Heath pointed out that the Republic, with its self-appointed autocracy, is very strongly infiltrated with Moscow trained Communists.

He further stated that the group of journalists had established for a fact that US State Department representa tives in Indonesia were actually opposed to the tour by this group of newsmen, and that the military observers in the field are convinced that their reports, which were based on facts, were dis torted before being sent on to Washing ton, Canberra and Lake Success.