The Wilmington morning star., 1946-03-23
CLIMAX IN JAVA
SDUE IN WEEKS
BY VERN HAUGLAND
Just returned from Raw.
months in Java and Indoro several

turnances for seven months ,h Vs.
settle down or vio]entl,Ss Aoud
over - within month ., ' Y.
weeks. VI Sly
This is the estimate Of ob.....
in Java who base their nraJia. seH
upon the tenure Of Sir ArcS S,.o3s
Clark Kerr, the British speci.1 aS
bassadcr who is trying In ID a.
the Dutch and IndonesianS Ng |
agreement, az
Sir Archibald is schedpI.s y
return to England within that ~
to prepare to take his new s. 'I
ment as successor to Lord Es1ta a'
in Washington in May. poIiasaS|
experts say the recognized n''.
and unrecognized Indonesian a Wv"
ernments of the East Indies sj s,
will agree or agree definiteIv s'
disagree before the British amb,"
sador's departure. ''''
Optimists watching the sih,.H..
in Batavia point out that person.
relationships between the nrina a
pals in the discussions - cl.r'
Kerr, the Dutch acting govern
general, H. ]. Van Nook, and N.
1ndonesian premier, Sultan siab rs
are excellent.
They feel that the Dutch ottsr .
a measure Of Indonesian self.go,
eminent within the Dutch Em Ti
with an opportunity in the IN,
specified future to choose connls,.
independence - is suffjcientlv
broad to serve as the basis tor
satisfactory settlement, particulsr,
ly since sjahrir, a moderate. ~,
Gently strengthened his hand
through cabinet changes.
They point to weakness smor,
the Dutch and Indonesians sljks
over the dragging dispute, and An
eagerness to get economy into mn,
ton again in a land where food
and textiles are dwindling. Thew
believe that a show Of force !,
called for, would suffice to subdje
any die-hard insurgents.
Observers on the gloomier side
hold that Indonesian independence
demands are too extreme ever ia
be adjusted to the reservations Of
powerful, conservative Dutchmeo
many of whom bitterly oppose any
concessions Van Nook may Offer
These pessimists say also that
even should Dutch and Indonesian
leaders come to an agreement, It
would be rejected by Java's thou.
sands Of youthful extremists =
pemoedas - who possess impres,
sive quantities of japanese wea,
pons and a fierce determination to
retain the. power they have gain,
ed. }T
Said one Dutchman: 1.-THE
pemoedas are driving Dutch cars,
living in Dutch houses, locting
Dutch /. stores, throughout Java.
They stay, free Of charges in lux.
ury hotels that never admitted In.
donesians before the war. They
dine, 'on the government at the
best cafes. They won't give all that
up without a struggle. We know
we're going to have to fight them
sooner or later, SO why don't the
British clear out and let the Dutch
claim by force the things that be-
long to us?"
Should the Dutch be permitted
to attempt to re-take Java by
force, one of the most serious
problems would be the possibly
$4,000 white Dutch, half-Dutch Eu.
rasians, and Indonesians out.
spokenly friendly to the Dutch,
now held virtually as hostages in
Indonesian camps throughout the
island.
Indonesian extremists repeat.
edly have threatened TO slaughter
such hostages in revenge, II the
Dutch attack.
eff war breaks out" one In
donesian leader observed, 1--WE be-
ieve that the British and Dutch
will try first to subdue west java
by gradually expanding CORRIDORS
between the three cities, Batavia
Buitenzorg and Bandoeng, that
they now hold there. Then they
will try similarly to ESTABLISH
themselves elsewhere by working
out from Semarang and Soeraoa'
ia.
meanwhile, we know that any
trouble - or even any settlement
= in Java will touch off an eA,
plosive chain reaction Throughout
India, Burma, Indo-China ana ma'
laya. Imperialism has put the d..
fish, Dutch and French across 'A'
Asiatic barrel"
There are many Indonesian COM CON;
munists but few, say Brltlsh anu
Dutch authorities, with any hus
sian background. Russian acuw
ties in China, Iran and Eul0pt y.
however. receive conslderaole ~
tention in the Indoneslan press "a
Meanwhile British, Dutcn anu
American technicians walt lii nl
tiently in Singapore, Calcutta, ran Il.
embang and Batavia for things ~. W
the East Indies to open up ~ ~
can get to work" American HIM.
tary representation in the area . n51
dropped to almost nothing. "A Si 1",,
strategic services unit ana i ';.
than 10 members Of a naVa! Do q,
son staff are all that relll@m N
once-large U. S. military 10IVe' -
the East Indies.