Evening star., 1949-07-24

From India, Burma, Indonesia
other agents are sending alarming
All of them, in effect, say the
Chinese Nationalist armies have S
versives in those countries and III
the prestige of the United States
democracy-it will not be long be-
fore these countries also fall be-
hind the iron curtain.
In spite of the State Depart
ment's formal statements that it
is doing its utmost to support the
new democracies in the Far East.
the record is not particularly IA
vorable to those who formulate
and apply our foreign policies.
Tragedy Silences Press
The tragedy which occurred
nearly two weeks ago near Bonn
bay, when 13 top American report
ers were killed in an airplane &C
cident on their way back from In
donesia, silenced our Journalistic
fact finders. All of them had
/ looked into the situation in Indo-
nesia and had obtained much
material for an extensive expose of
our blunders in that part of the
/ world.
Little had been published about
their findings before their deaths.
They had gathered material prov
ing conclusively that we were act
ing ideologically rather than ra-
tionally in our policies toward In
donesia. The few dispatches which
reached the United States from
these correspondents made it clear
that official observers in the field
were reporting their findings fac
tually to their superiors, but that
these reports were doctored to
suit an theological pattern aimed
at showing the Dutch completely
in the wrong and the Indonesian
politicos - mostly inexperienced
emotional men who easily could
fall into the Communist trap
COIllpleItly III Cllt llSIlG.
The Netherlands government
has been taken harshly to task in
official and unofficial quarters for
! having used high-handed meth
ods when it intervened in the af-
fairs of the Indonesian Republic,
which was threatened with Red
infltrations in spite of the sincere
desire of its leaders to keep the
Communists out.
Dutch Revealed Conditions
| Nations which have become free
without ever enjoying the benefits
of home rule know little Of the
pitfalls Of. Communist imperial
ism. The Indonesians have been
under Dutch tutelage for nearly
800 years. Before the Dutch came
in, THAR own satraps gave them no
freedom, because in those days
the people were the servants of
their rulers.
The Dutch government last year
approached the Joint Chiefs of
Staff with the true facts of the
situation that was brewing behind
the backs of the leaders of the
Indonesian Republic. They placed
substantiated evidence squarely
before our top military men who,
after consulting President Tru-
man, are believed to have told the
Dutch that as police operations
were necessary, they had better
go ahead, provided that the Meth
erlands governments pledge to
give the Indonesians freedom was
respected.
On the strength of that ap-
proval the Dutch began their
police operations, which were bit
terly denounced by our own State
Department as well as the gov
ernments of Western Europe. At
the January meeting of the Unit
ed Nations in Paris the American
representative-Dr. Philip Jessup
was instructed to make a strong
statement against the Netherlands
government, which was threat
ened with dire actions. including
the denial of Marshall Plan funds,
unless it changed its policies in
Indonesia. The State Depart
ment's draft was toned down con-
siderably by President Truman,
who knew the background of the
Dutch police operations. having
been apprised of them beforehand.
Caused Confusion
The uncertainty OF our policies.
which at first quietly encouraged
the Dutch authorities in their
police action and later brought
an official spanking, has caused
more confusion than anything
else in Indo-China. 1t also en-
couraged Communist agents to
continue their work, fully realiz-
ing that the West would not dis
avow it's official stand.
Outside of a minority of West
ern-educated persons, the Asiatics
have not yet had the opportunity
to become familiar with self-gov-
ernment and the real meaning of
democracy. Among these edu-
Gated persons there are some who
are so utterly selfish that they
would join any movement or any
country which offers the best
promise of rise to power. Soviet
agents are taking full advantage
of this.
Political leaders in the West
particularly in the United States
say that we all look to improve
ment of the lot of the common
man" and are offering economic
and theological support for the
creation of a better world in the
Far Eastern countries. The Rus
slams use these same pleasant
words in their broadcasts, but
they, in fact, support with arms
and ammunition all those who are