Evening star., 1948-12-22
Good Offices Group
Charges Breach of
Truce Agreement
BY fhs Associated Press

BATAVIA, Java, Dec. 22.-I'he
United Nations Good Offices
Committee accused the Dutch
today of violating last January's
Renville truce agreement in their
new warfare against the Indo,
nesian Republic.
The Dutch, continuing their al
most unopposed march through
Indonesian territory, have taken all
but two ma jor cities in Java, Dutch
communiques said. and in Sumatra
the picture was reported much the
same The Indonesians have called
for scorched earth tactics.
The Dutch announced that the
Tndonesians put the torch to Tjepee
Java's only oil center. This was the
first mention in any communique of
the Indonesian scorched-earth poll
cy. The Dutch subsequently over
ran the city.
Sumatra Capital Taken.
A communique, continuing a reci-
tai of advances in both Java and
Sumatra, reported that Bukittinggi
Fort de Kock), the Republican
capital on Sumatra, was taken.
Jogjakarta, the No. l capital in
Central Java. was seized at the out
set of the campaign Sunday. Thus
far. the Dutch said, their total cas-
ualties are 8 killed and IA wounded,
and the drive continues against
very little resistance"
The Good Offices Committee,
which had tried to mediate the
Netherlands Indonesian Republic
dispute, accused the Dutch. in a
cable to the Security Council at
Paris.
The U. N. report to the Council
said the Dutch evidently planned
their current campaign against the
Republic while still corresponding
with Republicans through the
United Nations. Since the police
action" began, the Dutch have
seized all the top Indonesian polit,
ical leaders and their army COM
mander.
OuItIHldtuIn III LCttCT.
The committees report to the
Council, signed by Merle Cochrane
of the United States and T. w.
Cults of Australia. said the tone of
a Netherlands letter of December
Ia day before the police action
began-to the American representa-
tive required a reply within time
limit which was impossible of full
nlllnent."
This, the committee said, gave
the letter some features of an ulti-
matum."
(The Dutch announced Decem-
ber II that they were breaking
off discussions with the Idonesian !
Republic and would form an in
terim federal government for the
islands without it, December Is
the Dutch rejected proposal by
Republican Premier Mohamed
Hatta for further talks)
Not only have the possibilities of
negotiation under auspices of the
committee not been exhausted, but
they have not been adequately ex-
plored," the committee told the Sc
curity Council. There have been
no negotiations under auspices of
the committee since % July. Re-
cert direct talks cannot be regarded
as negotiations as they took the
form of Netherlands demands for
complete surrender of the Republic
to the Netherlands position on all
important issues.
Despite frequent requests, Meth
erlands authorities have not yet pro-
vided the United States representa-
tive or the deputy Australian repre-
sentative who are in Batavia with
any information regarding the well
fare of members of the committee
and their stats and the United Ma
tions secretariat, who were In Kali
ioerang 19 December. (The Dutch
announced today, after occupying
Kalioerang, that all we're safe.)
Communications Cut Off.
Nor have the Netherlands au-
thorities provided means of COM
munication between the two groups.
The United States representative
and the deputy Australian repre-
sentative are, therefore, once more
constrained to forward this report
on behalf of the committee without
referring Cit) to members who are
still in Kalioerang.
In reputation of the Renville
truce agreement, the Netherlands
government did not comply with
provisions of Article 10 of that
agreement.
The committee was not aware of
any circumstances connected with
the concentration of Republican
(See INDONESIA. Page A-5)