ARMING STRONGLY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 222, 18 September 1940, Page 6

ARMING STRONGLY.

DUTCH EAST INDIES. INCIDENTS OF THE WAR. (By HENRY CABODRET.) Hitler's invasion of Holland brought the Dutch East Indies on the side of Britain. The news was flashed from Holland to the Indies Government by code in order that no opportunity should be missed of taking ships or anything of German origin. No wonder the Dutch surprised 19 vessels that were lying in Dutch harbours. They had been there for protection and had lain idle, since the outbreak of the European conflict. Two ships managed t*» «cuttle themselves, but it was a great «tart for the Indies in its struggle to help the Mother Country. The ships' crews were interned and the ships have «een repainted and remanned by Dutch crews. They made a fine addition to tne already large Dutch mercantile fleet.

Tim Dutch Fleet, stationed at Sourabaya, Java, immediately took orders from the British Fleet, but mainly it patrols the Dutch territorial waters. The harbours and entrances have all been mined and boomed. The, booms have been lajd in case of possible enemy submarines trying to enter the wharves and dry docks. The Dutch. Fleet consists of several light cruisers, destroyers, minelayers, minesweepers and submarines. The Dutch Air Force immediately began to buy heavily from America and now has a formidable force of fast, modern military 'planes. The Dutch are doing their utmost to buy all they can immediately, so as not to be caught napping in case of attack. These new 'planes can be seen every day patrolling the skies.

The Dutch Army was. immediately mobilised and put on a war footing. Every able-bodied Dutchman of the Indies was mobilised and even men from the Straits Settlements going back to Java to enlist. This forms quite a large army of Europeans alone, as there are almost half a million Dutchmen in the East Indies. It is surprising to find the Dutch Army uniform so similar to the German uniform. The colour is of a greenish yellow and even the peaked caps are like the German caps. There is a large number of natives in the army and they have the reputation of excellent soldiers. In order not to disorganise the "business as usual" campaign throughout the islands the Europeans are not

continually in barracks. ~They do a few months and then they go back to their work. And so it goes on, in relays. Hitler's Threats. As a reprisal for German ill treatment of Dutch nationals in Holland, all Germans were arrested and interned in concentration camps in Java. However, after Holland was over-run by the Nazis Hitler had his say in the way the Germans in concentration camps were to be treated. He demanded bigger and better camps for interned Germans and threatened reprisals, such as the execution of leading Dutch personages in „ Holland having connections with the Indies should Germans not get better treatment. The Governor-General of the Indies ordered an investigation into the concentration camps, and now the Germans are kept in what are described as "enemy camps." The Dutch authorities also had their troubles with the Dutch Nationalist movement. This was a strong movement of Dutchmen who openly sympathised with the Nazi regime. Leading men were amongst this organisation's members. This could not be tolerated, and all those who sympathised with Germany were arrested and interned. This was at the moment when the "Fifth Columnists" were causing havoc in European countries. Japan's Interest. Despite the fact that Britain, Japan, and America have agreed to keep the status quo in the Dutch Indies, Japan, since Prince Konoye's imperialist Cabinet came to power, has been talking much of a "southward movement." The Dutch are well aware of this, and it is for this reason that the Indies are arming to the teeth in order to defend themselves to the fullest. Borneo, with its rich oil wells, is what the Japanese chiefly want. But America opposes any attempt to interfere. It is commonly said that when the American fleet was on manoeuvres in the Pacific and was supposed to be near Panama, all the time it was outside Dutch territorial waters. At that time it was rumoured that a Japanese fleet was sailing southward and its destination was unknown.

It is, of course, of vital importance to Australia and New Zealand that the Dutch East Indies should be independent. Parts of them are only one day's steam from Singapore, and their possession by a possibly hostile Power would not only menace Singapore, but would be a threat to all Far Eastern countries as well as to Australia and New Zealand. However, with the Dutch busy building strong fortifications, their morale very high, and their confidence in the ultimate victory of Britain, the future may be less disturbed than at one time appeared likely.