Evening star., 1947-07-27
Main Indonesian Army
Reported Trapped by
Two Dutch Columns
BY the Asseciofsd Press

night that Dutch troops advanc-
ing in Eastern and Western Java
had caught the main body of the
Indonesian republican army in a
vise-like operation against the
vast central section of the is
land.
The Dutch admitted resistance in
some places. but said that for the
most part Dutch troops were ad-
vancing at will under the scorching g
tropical sun.
Netherlands strategy, as outlined
by senior official, was to set up
civil administrations in the areas
already seized before deciding
whether to strike hard southwark
from Semarang against the Indo-
nesian capital at Jogjakarta deep
in the central interior.
American trained Dutch marines
and infantry, reported officially to
be in full control of strategic CEN
tiers in the eastern portion of the
island, virtually completed the first
phase of their operations and now
were said to be mopping up pockets
Of resistance.
Port of Legal Reported Captured.
In the western section. mechan-
lied forces lancing swiftly along
the northwest coastal road have
captured the part of legal, the
Dutch said. This March took Meth
erlands forces 40 miles beyond
Cheribon and won control OF a
coastal stretch of 200 or more miles
eastward from Batavia.
A broadcast Indonesian communi-
Que said the Indonesians still were
resisting at Cheribon and that In
donesian guerrillas Of the Laskar
Raiat peoples army had begun
operations in the Batavia area.
A dispatch from Jogjakarta said
Indonesian officials declared the
Dutch planned to set up "a Dutch
puppet government" One 1ndone-
sian official said he believed the
Dutch already had a skeleton gov
ernment prepared to take over, but
said such a regime will never get
the support of the 1ndoneslan
people"
Sailing of Dutch Claimed.
An Indonesian communique SAID
the Dutch drive from Semarang IN
central Java had been stalled 80
miles to the south of Salatiga, which
is astride a mountain road winding
46 miles southwark to Jogjakarta
The bulletin said Indonesians had
sliced behind the Dutch at Salatlga
and severed their communications
with Semarang, the Dutch jump-of1
point for this drive. The Dutch said
their policy, however, was to con-
solidate their territory politically,
before deciding whether to make a
serious drive on Jogjarkarta.
Gen. Soeoirman, commander OF
the Indonesian army, said in jog
iakarta that the Dutch had lost
5000 killed, wounded and missing in
the first six days of hostilities. The
Dutch said Netherlands casualties
through yesterday were 80 killed. SO
wounded and seven missing. Dutch
communicates on casualties often lag
behind operational reports.
In east-central Java, an In
donesian army communique said,
Republican forces had recaptured
Modjokerto, important communica-
tions center Is miles south OF the
Soerabaja naval base. Reporting
heavy fighting in the sector, it said
the Indonesians had driven back a
Dutch tank spearhead driving on
Lawang. Lawang is 10 miles north
of Malang, which apparently still
was an Indonesian stronghold
Earlier unofficial reports said the
Dutch had captured it. The Dutch
admitted sharpened Indonesian ac-
tivity in this sector, but placed their
forces at LaWang.
Coastal Road Cleared.
A Netherlands bulletin said the
north coastal road commanding the
approa ches to eastern Java had been
cleared for more than so miles in
the Soerabaja-Probolingge area and
was reopened, re-eStabllshlng COM
munications with the eastern part OF
the island.
Fighting on Sumatra apparently
was on a considerably more limited
scale. The Dutch said decision on
whether to wage arfintensive cam
paign IN the areas of Sumatra still
was to be decided.
A dispatch from Associated Press
Correspondent Harris Jackson at
Jogjakarta quoted the Indonesian
ministry of information as saying
that Republican forces had pene-
trated parts of Medan, Sumatra s
largest city, and that battle for
the city was taking shape. Earlier
the Indonesian radio at Pemanti-
angsiantar had said Medan was in
Republican hands. The Dutch have
reported little activity in the Medan
area, saying their operations thus
far have been restricted mostly to
the southern oil field regions.
Dutch dispatches from northern
Sumatra said Republican forces
we're waging a campaign of terror
ism against the Chinese population
of Medan. The Chinese consul there
was said to have broadcast an ap-
peal to the Republicans to halt ac-
tions which could only bring the
republics name into disrepute.
| Official Dutch messages said a
Dutch column moving from smoking
Arnhemia, below Medan, found the
Chicanese quarter completely de-
stroyed. Many villages have been