Evening star., 1942-02-13
Temporary letup
In Jap Attack on
Indies Reported

mQIeS kepOneQ
Mucossor Horbor Works
Destroyed; Of No Use to
Enemy, Dutch Declare
By the Associated Press.
BATAVIA, Netherlands Indies,
Feb. 13.-The Dutch high COM
mand reported today a tempo
rary slackening of the Japanese
drive on the Netherlands Indies
and said destruction of harbor
works of Macassar, chief port on
Celebes, had been so effective
that "the enemy will not find
anything of use to him."
The defenders soorched-earth
tactics also were carried out in other
parts Of Southern Celebes, the high
command said, adding that accord
ing to latest official news from this
sector of japanese invasion the
harbor area of Macassar still was In
flames last night.
(Tokio claimed yesterday that
Macassar had been occupied)
Macassar, chief port in the south
western part of the island, Is threat
ened by enemy drives from north
and south. But this afternoons
communique, released through the
news agency Aneta, gave some en-
couragement over the situation there
In denying earlier reports that the
Japanese also were driving on the
city from Balangnipa, across from
Macassar on the eastern side OF the
peninsula.
"Telegraphic reports from Macas-
sar indicate that the original an
nouncement regarding a Japanese
landing at Balangnipa is not cor
rect" the communique stated.
Air Activity Falls on.
There was no word of operations
in any other portion of the archi-
pelago, and Japanese air activity
was restricted almost entirely to
reconnaissance flights.
Meanwhile, the Indies, certain
that the imminent fall of Singapore
will open the floodgateS for an all
out Japanese assault on Sumatra
and Java, stood by their guns, de-
termined to fight on regardless OF
the odds.
Whether the United States and
Britain can get needed reinforce
ments into this area in time to meet
the expected assault will have no
bearing on the governments stand,
Q semi official spokesman declared.
1--WE will go on fighting and damn
the consequences" he asserted.
While acknowledging that the sit
uation is grim and that help is i'm
perative, the spokesman declared the
Dutch never would abandon Suma-
ira and Java without a fight, even
If the United Nations high command
should elect to surrender bases there
and fall back to Australia.
No Withdrawal to Australia.
Japan doesn't have a ghost Of q
chance that the Netherlands East
Indies will lay down their arms,
despite the increasingly dangerous
position" the spokesman said.
Quarters close to the government
declared that a withdrawal to Aus
tralia would be poor strategy be
cause it would give Japan a cheap
victory, a gate to the Indian Ocean
and all the raw materials she needs
to push onward"
They asserted it was essential to
hold Java and at least the southern
part of Sumatra. The northern part
of Sumatra almost touches Slnga-
pore and would be extremely difncult
to defend once that bastion crum-
pies.
Indies officials well acquainted
with Admiral c. E L. Helfrich, the
newly-appointed Dutch commander
of the Allied naval forces in the
Southwest Pacific, declared that his
lexicon did not include the word
surrender"
They recalled that at the first
signs of trouble in the Pacific he had
issued an order of the day to the
Dutch fleet calling on his men to
fight to the last ditch and to make
sure that not one plane, ship, bar
racks or naval yard fell into enemy
hands in usable condition.
Volunteer Flyers Called.
Further emphasizing the Dutch
determination to carry on, come
what may, was an announcement
that members of the voluntary fly
ing corps in the islands were called
into service today.
The corps consists Of young civil
Mans who volunteered for training
10 supplement the regular air force
in event of war. Many Of them, al
ready in an advanced stage OF train
Ing, will be ready soon to fly bomb
ing and fighting planes.
1t was reported that an attack
carried out several days ago by
Allied aircraft on q Japanese air
craft carrier in the Gulf Of Bone, OIL
Celebes, was believed to have been
successful. Bad weather prevented
accurate observation from the air
Of the results of the attack at the
time, but shore observers. it was
learned later, saw great bursts OF
dame rise from the attacked ship.