The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-10-12
DUTCH COLONY
IDEAS MAY AID
IN PHILIPPINES
Problem in lava Is Said to
Be ParreIIeI Case.
BU NEA SerUice

BU NEA Seruice
THE HAGUE, Oct. 12.-"If Presi-
dent Coolidge is WISE" said promi-
nent Dutch citizen to me, "he will
send Col. Carmi Thompson to visit
Java while he is in the Orient look
ing over the Philippines.
MANY of the difficulties you Amer
leans are having in the Philippines
are old problems to us. We have
had long experience with them in
ruling Java. They still trouble US"
Col. Thompson is visiting China
and Japan before returning to report
to the President on the Philippines.
Apparently Java is off his itinerary.
But if there is something to be learn.
ed from Dutch experience there, the
average citizen still may like to take
a glance at the island.
Also Nationalist =
Just as the advanced Filipinos
dream of independence-fost by
various presidential utterances-so
the advanced Molslems of Java are
cAoO llc1llOllollSlSs NY 1ulCn 1nIOllll-
ant pointed out. Just as a measure
Of self-goYernment in the Philippines
has increased the appetite for mi
so 1t has worked out in Java. -
just as your troops occasionally have
to subdue the war:like Moros, so
ours have to battle with the Achi-
nese.
But we have had our lesson. Our
whole policy is towards less self
government by the natives. We
think you will come to the same con-
clusion unless you are asking for
trouble"
Java Is Key
Java IS the key to the Dutch
colonial empire. A vast island, 1t
has a population of more than
90, 100000. There are only 1900
Europeans and $4,000 foreign Asia.
tics. But the latter comprise the
Chinese traders. and the Arab land
owners and money-lenders. The
Chinese have brought in anti.Euro-
pean ideas. The Arabs have brought
in Pan-Islamic fervor. The whole
island is shot through with a trouble
we as yet hardly know in the Philip
pines-active Communists. continu-
ally agitating.
Back in 1918, when Count Limburg
Stirum was governor general of,
Java, he promulgated what was
called an "etchical policy" Part of
this was to entrust a large measure
Of government to the natives.
Under the Stirum scheme. a native
regent was attached to each of the
Dutch assistant residents" who adj
ministered district governments. The
duties were to advise the residents
and to be head of the native popula-
ton. Each regency was subdivided
into districts under minor native.of-
ficials who formed the final link III
the people.
Twenty Elected
A sort Of parliament called a
'Volksraad" also was set up. Out
of it's forty members, twenty
are elected natives. But the "v0lks-
raad" has rot the power that our leg
islative assemblies in the Philippines
are vested with.
The second portion of the ethical
policy" had in mind complete uni
formity of civil status for all races
and creeds. Thus Europeans are
brought under the same criminal
code are are the natives and foreign
Asiatics.
When Count Limburg Stirum was
succeeded as governor general by
Mynheer Fock, a change in policy
was indicated. The government had
already found it hard to deal on a .
uniform basis with a native popula-
ton made up of peaceful Javanese
farmers, head hunting Dyaks, order.
ly Christian Menodonese and warlike
Achinese. Many of the Islamic asso-
Citations are clubs for the spread OF
Communistic propaganda.
In the name of Economy. the
new governor general announced
that he was going to do away with
the thirty-two RESIDENCES. The real
aim IS to do away with the decen.
tralization policy and take away part
Of the native self.government.
Governor General Jonkheer de
Graeff, who has just succeeded Fock,
Is expected still further to pursue
this policy. The Dutch have come >
to the conclusion that they had bet
ter retain all the real governmental
power in the hands of white
Java is being definitely swung aN@S
from self-governnent.