Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-12-28
The Flew Indonesion State

After four years of off-again again
marked by bitter and costly guerrilla
warfare-the United States of Indonesia
now takes its place in the world as free
and independent nation. Like India,
Pakistan, the Philippines, Syria, Israel and
the several other new states that have come
into existence since 1945, 1t is at last a
sovereign power in its own right-a his
toric development of the greatest i'm
portance not merely to itself and Asia
but to the West as WELL and particularly
to the Netherlands whose colonial rule
over the vast region had it's beginnings
more than three centuries ago.
Yesterday, in transferring full sover-
eighty to this new state, Queen Juliana
did not exaggerate in describing the
change as an act piercing the very roots
of the existence of the Dutch people and
nation. For Indonesia from generation to
generation, has played key role in the
economic life of the Netherlands. That
is why so many citizens of that fine
Western democracy are frankly worried
about what may happen now. What they
hope and pray for-with their fingers
crossed-is that the loose union agreed
former colony will work out in way
that will establish strong and permanent
friendly ties and be mutually enriching,
culturally, politically, economically and
otherwise.
AS for the Indonesians, they have reason
to hope and pray for the same thing.
In becoming sovereign nation, they are
taking on the grave and heavy RESPONSE
bilities of self-government at time when
their own political and economic situation
is far from being as stable and good as
1t should and can be. Premier Mohammed
Hatta and his cabinet must deal with
difficult problems touching directly upon
the lives of more than 100000 people
who speak scores of different languages
and who are scattered over tremendous
area Of the Southwest Pacific In an archi-
pelago made up of about 5000 islands,
great and small, advanced and primitive.
Many MISUNDERSTANDING remlin-
ing Communists who can be counted upon
to stir up as much trouble as possible
are still busily agitating in the new state,
and they will have to be carefully policed.
Moreover, subversive forces to one side,
the United States OF Indonesia, despite
its fabulous resources, does not now enjoy
healthy economy. Accordingly, primarily
because Of postwar chaos and the damages
suffered during the Japanese occupation,
it is faced with number of very serious
and pressing needs-a fact that should
make 1t feel anxious to cultivate close
cooperative relations with the Neither
lands and the West as whole.
But even though 1t thus creates new
problems and uncertainties for the Indo-
nesians themselves, for the Dutch and for
the Western world in general, the birth
OF this nation may rightly be regarded
as one of the inevitable consequences of
the recent war and the long -existing
movement for independence among CO.
lonial peoples everywhere. Under the
Netherlands, in modern times, these islands
and their inhabitants benefited from wise
and enlightened rule. Nevertheless, they
grew steadily in their determination to be
completely free, and probably 1t is just as
well that they have become sovereign now
instead Of later. In any case, believers In
globe will wish them bright future as
they take over control of their own
destiny.
Needless to say, of course, the Kremlin
wishes otherwise. Together with its cowed
satellites, 1t has already attacked free In
donesia as a puppet creation of American
and Dutch "imperialists." In all prob
ability, besides using its veto to bar the
new state from membership in the United
Nations (Which helped to bring about the
transfer Of sovereignty, it will prod its
Communist agents to agitate more than
ever for strife and chaos in the islands.
In the circumstances, the young Hatta
government, its friendly Asiatic neighbors
and the Western powers will be well advised
to work together for their common we'll
being and independence. Such co-opera-
ton is needed to hold In check the Soviet
drive for dominance everywhere.