There’s No War: It’s
pp. 32-33 · Read in the full issue
Business As Usual In Hollandia
Prom an AAP-Reuter Correspondent I in Hollandia It is still business as usual in the Dutch New Guinea capital of Hollandia—just as it has beeni every day since the Indonesians l began making parachute land- ■ ings in the Territory at the end of April.
THERE is little evidence in th( capital of the hostilities. Th« fighting is a long way off from th< steamy tropical town stragglinj around the shores of Humbolt Bay only about 25 miles from the Aus tralian Trust Territory of New Guinea.
There is no state of war ir Netherlands New Guinea, a Dutct Government official said.
“We have not declared war on anyone and Dutch troops in New Guinea are taking action against the Indonesians only to maintain the peace of the area,” he added.
Certainly Hollandia itself shows little concern about the Indonesian activities as it goes about its day-to day affairs.
Most of its population of 7.60 C Europeans, 6,400 Papuans and 1,106 Asiastics are astir early each day, for life starts soon after dawn in Hollandia.
Civil servants are at their desks by 7 a.m. local time, and work through until 2 p.m,, when they are finished for the day.
Most shops are open between 8 a.m. and noon and again be tween 4.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m., but some of the Chinese stores open for longer hours.
Dutch housewives shop at the modern but small shopping centre in temperatures over the 80-degree Fahrenheit mark and in very high humidity.
Nearby, a group will be gossiping by the monument to Captain F. J. P- Sachse, the founder of who brought a landing party ashore here in 1909 from a Dutch naval vessel.
When he found that a German border patrol had christened its camp on the other side of the then German-Dutch New Guinea border, Germania Corner, Captain Sachse named his settlement Hollandia.
h a population of 300 in 1940 vith every house wiped out raids during the Second World Hollandia has grown again the American base and military aarters established here in sn the Americans left, the most ible buildings were taken over j Dutch Government. 5 explains why the capital spreads out over a distance miles around the bay and has 50 miles of roads. even Indonesian landings in erauke area, on the other side island from Hollandia, in June, the tenor of life in Hollandia, gh the Governor, Dr. Plated, g a New Guinea Council ses aid it was “with great indigna that he had to say that Indo leaders had decided to go on heir “cynical way of thought”, were several paratroop land n the Merauke area which is 40 miles from the Australian '. The fact that the landings 0 close to the border caused a greater stir in Sydney and Can- For Hollandia saw no real 1 in the new development, but lia suddenly realised how close getting to the trouble.