FIGHTING AGAIN BREAKS OUT

Chronicle (Levin), 7 January 1947, Page 5

FIGHTING AGAIN BREAKS OUT

MOST SERIOUS SITUATION IN SUMATRA Received Mondav, 7 p.m. BATAVLA, Jan. 5. Dr. Sjahrir, Prenuer of the Indouesian Hepublic, announced that figjiting has bi'oken out at Pklembang, Suinntra, and doseribed the situation as mo.^t serious. The Republican Governor of Bouth Sumatra had reported that Jighting flared . up af" er ihe Dutch liad ordered the L'ndonesians to vvitltdraiv from tlie city aiul an area 21) milfes round it. The Governments of the Netlieriaiuls East Indies and the liidonesign kepublic, in a conibined effort to rest.'ore the 4 ' detcriorating military. siruation, joiutly announced that in tlie view of the Republrc, the military trure was still in force, says the Batavia correspondent of the Assoeiated Press. Tlie rec.urrence of flghting in Java is referred to by a Dutch resident, a former inmate of Kolouie Aliramar, wri.ting to a friend in Wellington. / R.Th'6 phl'iferaj situation' is still very •«ine.ertain|! 1 ]fe-.tJS!iy.s, writing o,n- Dceem : her 2Dj..l?-:fihtls' n^f§|l^!:^iia ./t'he sliglitest' id'ea what.^i^ill iir t'lie fiiture. The troitbles witli tlie Indonesians are starting again. It is more or lfess gucrrilla figlitihg around ihe towns, wi.ui some activity in tlie sutmrbs. A poiiG cal. fonnula is the resuit of long coT ferences between the Dutch and the Indonesians. Tlie Republic of Indonesia is a fact. In my opiuion, this baby is born too early, and we have to handloit very carefully because it is still very weak. JMother Dutch just recove.red from the yellow fever. before baby Indonesia- was born. This littlc creature needs every attention, and witliout great mollier-love it will not keep alive. Tlie Indonesians have to renieni ber tliat-only with tlie help of the Dutch cah they keep the Republic. Most of them do not realise this, and they carlyon with violations of the annistice. ''There is a lbt of starvation amongst the Indonesians, who are terrorised by a group of robbers who are not the real republicans but larg.e gangs of murderers. These gangs have big. power because they are well armed'. Tltey even inanage to export their rice to other countries to smuggle arins and' muni- , tions ihstead of feeding their fellowinen wlio are (lying, of starvation. '''