MANY ARMED JAPS STILL IN INDIES

Chronicle (Levin), 28 March 1946, Page 5

MANY ARMED JAPS STILL IN INDIES

MORE INDONESIAN ATTACKS Received Wednesday, 9.25 p.m. LODDON, March 27. "There are approximately 50,000 Jap anese troops nnder our control in indon esia who are stiil bearing arms, and oi these 50,000 are in Java and Sumatra," said tne War Minister in a letter to a Communist member of the House o^. vjonmions, Mr. Gallacher. The Minister 's letter, wliich the .Daily WorKer pubiishes, adds: "In addition, there are 25,000 Japanese in Central Java vviio are not yet under our control, ana tney are reported to have handed over ihe riuln oi their arms to the Indon esians. At no time have British weapons or tanks been supplied to any Japaneje troops in tne Dureh East xndies. * I'our more Indonesian leaders have been arrested in Java, and charged with trying to overthrow the Sockarnotejahiir Government. A correspondent says that with the 1 nagotiations between the x>l etherianciers and the Indonesians reaching a vitai stage, boih Mr. Sjahrir and Dr. Soekarno are tighjening their grip on internal auairs and consoiidating politicai opinion behind their Government. Three oi' the foar people arrested were members of the foriner Indonesian Govemment, and all of them, with iive otneis arrested a fe-./ days ago, were well-xnown collaborators with tne Japanese. The whole nine were tiiougnt ro be trying to form an alternative Government to the present Indonesian Ad- ' nunistracion and to sabotage the present discussions. SETT1.EMENTS BURNED OUT ; Thunder bolts and Mosquitoes operating over Bandoeng, reported tne whon | southern area under thick smoke. Many j native settleinents liad been burned oue. The plane crews also saw what appear ed to be a Japanese armoured troop carrier filled with Japanese leaving the i town. ' Thundcrbolts operating over Sura- ' baya came under accurate iire from j Bofors guns. Tanks operating under i artillery cover rescued a British patrol ! which Indonesians were attacking south 1 of Semarang. Indian troops, veterans of the great j stand at Imphal, in Burma, in 1943-11, . have occupied the whole built-up area j of Bandoeng, says Reuter's correspond- j ent. They encountered no opposition or | booby traps when they entered the blazmg southern part of the city. Troops m the smouldering suburbs found the bodies of two Japanese sergeants-major beside ?. great crater resulting from an explosion wliich iast night rocked the city. Aliied Headciuarters are satisfied that I a number oi Japanese are associatea ! with Indonesian extremists in attacxs j against the British forces. Major-Gen j eral Hawthorn speeded up the occupa- ! tion after the city was aiire. The operation, originaily planned to take two days, was compieted^in 21 hours. A inilitary spokesman said the occupation of southern Bandoeng was aecomplished without casualty. Air leconnaissance showed a stream of motor transport and ox carts still moving south-westward from Bandoeng.