A Black Day For the South

Pacific

SYDNEY, August 4.

SINCE the foregoing article, summaris ing the conclusions of the Ameri can journalists, was written, there have been important developments.

An Inter-Indonesian Conference was held in Djokjakarta, July 19-22, attended by delegates representing the Dutch, the pro-Dutch Territories other than Java, and the so-called “republic of Indonesia” (the anti-European, partly-Communist organisation set up by the Japs in 1944- 46 and based on Djokjakarta). The Conference was held more or less under the direction of the pro-Asiatic section

of the United Nations, which took charge of the Netherlands Indies situation early in 1949.

The Conference decided to set up “the free and sovereign Republic of the United States of Indonesia (RUSI) . . . based on principles of democracy and federal ism,” and comprising a Federation of (a) all the different States of the Nether lands Indies formed by the Dutch in the last three years; (b) the “Indonesian Republic” (the Jap-formed organisation based on Djokjakarta); and (c) certain Territories ruled under special conditions, (such as the semi-independent States governed by Indonesian rulers). RUSI will be controlled by a Parliament and a Senate.

A Constitution for this new body has still to be framed and agreed upon. It will indicate how sovereign powers shall be divided between the Federation, the States and the Territories.

It is reported that the Dutch will hand over complete powers to RUSI within a year, and that all Dutch forces thereupon will be withdrawn from the East Indies.

Thenceforward, the Netherlands and RUSI will be joined in a “Union.”

Shrewd observers say that, while United Nations officials claim that the Djokjakarta Republic now has surren dered to the Federation planned by the Dutch, what actually has happened is that the whole region formerly called the Netherlands Indies has been surrendered to the Indonesians, and that it is in evitable that the Republic of the United States of Indonesia will, within a very few years after the withdrawal of the Dutch, be penetrated and over-run by the forces of Asiatic nationalism, and of Com munism.

It was fitting that the “Cease Fire’ order between the Djokjakarta set-up and the Dutch became effective on August 4—the anniversary of the outbreak of World War I, and a black day for all the Nations and Territories of the South Pacific.