Evening star., 1947-07-21

capital was placed under g. dawn t1
dusk curfew.
Antara said Dutch columns were
moving on the West Java rice fields
and meeting stiff resistance Malang
400 miles east of Batavia, and Mage
land, in Central Java, were among
|Indonesian places reported bombed
Officials Under Arrest.
Batavia itself, meanwhile, re-
manned outwardly calm following
the furry of excitement which de.
veloped last night when Dutch
troops seized Republican communi-
cations and buildings in a surprise
move.
A. K. Gani, Republican deputy
prime minister, acting Foreign Min
lister Tamsil and other Indonesian
representatives here were under
house arrest.
Gani-guarded by armed Dutch
soldiers-asked in an interview to-
day that the consuls of Britain, the
United States and other foreign
powers assemble to hear an Indo-
nesian protest against the COM
|mencement of hostilities by the
Dutch.
He said DR.. P. j. Koets, chief of
DR.. Van Mook's cabinet, had handed
him a note announcing the Dutch
governments decision to start action
at 1880 pm. Java time yesterday.
Before I could telephone my
government at Jogjakarta to see
what move they might make to
avoid this, armed soldiers burst in
upon U.S." Gani declared.
Dutch Impose Curfew.
1--WE stayed behind to make a last
effort for peace, knowing this might
happen" GAM said. I'VE have done
our best. We will try for peace If
foreign consuls visit us, or the
Dutch allow us to communicate
with Jogjakarta.'
II was writing for United States
Consul General Walter Foote when
the soldiers burst in," CAM said.
He phoned early in the afternoon
that he would be over Immediately
with message from the American
State Department.. He never
showed up, although I waited
nearly 10 hours until the Dutch
struck"
Dutch military authorities launch
ed their operations in Batavia at
midnight last night some hours be-
fore the expiration of Neither
lands ultimatum calling on the re-
public to end the two-year stale
mate in negotiations over the
political future of the East Indies.
Republican Buildings Seized.
Troops wearing steel helmets and
American-type camouhage uniforms
quickly seized the Indonesian radio
station and other republican con-
trolled buildings in the city: These
were numerous, for since the begin
ming of the Dutch-Indonesian dis
pute following the japanese sur
rended in 1916 Batavia has been
under a dual municipal government
and the Republic has maintained
branches of its ministries in the
city.
Seizure of the republican buildings
was accomplished without resistance
and without bloodshed.
The first official announcement of
the Dutch moves came in an early
broadcast by DR.. Van
Nook, who said that the negotia-
tions with the republic had ended in
failure and that Dutch military au-
thorities were compelled to act to
establish law and order "'in certain
parts" of both Java and Sumatra.
He said that special Dutch units
had struck Unexpectedly at key
points where sabotage under the
promised Indonesian scorched earth
policy had been feared.
THE action can be localized If
events do not force otherwise" DR..
Van Nook said.
Asked later at a news conference
if the republican government could
still arrange a peace, DR.. Van Nook
replied:
'If they change their attitude, it
may make a difference"