Evening star., 1947-08-17
Indian
Ocean
BY Lothrop Stoddord

By Lothrop Stoddord
In order better to understand thu
significance and the equities of thu
dispute between the Netherlands
government and the regime known
as the Republic Of Indonesia, the
latter's status and character should
be clearly defined.
The title assumed by this regime
has sweeping implications, because
the term "Indonesia" has often beer
used to describe the whole of the
Dutch East Indies. Indeed, the
spokesmen Of the Indonesian Re-
public claim to represent a Ma.
tionalist movement extending to al
parts of the Dutch colonial empire
in the Orient. But such claims de
not square with the facts, which
do not lend themselves to so simple
an Interpretation.
That a movement has long existed
voicing discomfort with Dutch colo
nial rule and aiming at native self
government or even eventual inde-
pendence. of Dutch authority, is
indisputable. But this Nationalist
trend arose on the island of Java
and has always been predominantly
Javanese in character. Now Java
is unquestionably the most populous
and economically the most impor-
tant part of the Dutch Indies. But
it is merely one portion of q very
much larger whole, embracing a
wide variety Of lands and peoples
widely different from each other
Indeed, their chief organic connec-
ton has come about through three
centuries Of Dutch colonial rule
which means that the common tie
is not native but foreign: not some.
thing indigenous but imposed from
outside.
A Vast Archipelago
This historic factor is especially
important when we remember that
the Dutch Indies are not a solid
block Of land like British India
but a vast archipelago of thousands
of Islands, great and small, stretch
ing along the equator for more than
5000 miles, with an average breadth
of some 500 miles. That is an east
west distance from New York to
San Francisco, and a north south
distance almost halfway between
the Canadian and Mexican borders.
Although much of this belt is water,
the land portion aggregates 735,0oo
square miles-thrice the size OF
Texas, with a population exceeding
60,000,000 according to the census
of 1890.
1t was nearly three and q halt
centuries ago that a trading corpo-
ration was formed in Holland called
the Dutch East India Co. They were
a canny group of merchants aiming
to tap the legendary wealth of the
spice islands," which for ages had
been the source of such luxuries as
nutmess, cloves and pepper. Gust
ing the Portuguese. who had al
ready obtained footholds, and freez-
ing out the English who tried to
muscle in, the Dutch presently OBJ
tanned the monopoly of the spice
trade. But those Dutch traders
were severely practical men. They
had no idea of founding an "em-
pire." What they wanted was to do
profitable business. So they in
terfered as little as possible with
the natives, leaving local affairs in
the hands of the chieftains who
ruled the various islands and there
by perpetuating the differences in
languages, religions and customs.
Only in few of the smaller spice
islands like Amboina, where the
Dutch made their early settlements,
did they deeply influence the lives
of the inhabitants. Much later
Dutch authority was extended over
the larger and more populous is
lands such as Java and Sumatra.
Population Blossomed
The amazing development of Java
dates back only a trifie more than a
century. when the luxury trade in
spices declined and was replaced by
quantity-produced tropical staples
such as coffee, sugar and rubber,
grown on big plantations. The fer
tile soil of Java made it the center
of Dutch enterprise which, in turn,
made 1t an agricultural gold mine
and stimulated its population over
tenfold-from about 4,000, 900 at the
beginning of the 18th century to
A, 4,00o, 900 in 1930-all on an island
with an area Of only $4,000 square
miles, just trifie larger than New
York State. Java is thus today one
Of the most densely inhabited areas
in the world. But this swollen pop
ulation can be supported only by the
marvelously efficient Dutch skill
and enterprise that has brought 1t
forth.
1t is interesting to note that, even
in Java. marked differences exist
among the native population. The
true "Javanese" occupy the middle
portion Of the island and are the
most numerous element. But the
western end of Java is inhabited by
the Sudanese, people with a con-
trasting temperament and culture
who have already registered a pro-
test against the Javanese-run "Indo-
nesian Republic" The inhabitants