He's Said It Before

SAID Papua-New Guinea Assistant Administrator, Dr. John Gunther, on December 20, when Indonesia first announced it would use force, if necessary, to get West New Guinea: “President Soekarno has said this 25 times before and, that’s all there is to it.” He refused further comment. The Administrator, Sir Donald Cleland, said the Dutch in Netherlands New Guinea had not officially asked Australia to help in arrangements for evacuation if attacked.

The Netherlands liaison officer in Port Moresby, Djakarta-born Mr.

C. A. B. Pley, said: “I didn’t think the Indonesians would do anything yesterday. Not even a canoe could reach the Dutch New Guinea shore.

The area is being too well patrolled.

And, anyway, our destroyer fire power is greater than theirs.

“President Soekarno has promised mobilisation but it will take time— I think the danger period will be the middle of 1962.”