JAVANESE SOLDIERS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 48, 19 November 1937, Page 13

JAVANESE SOLDIERS

Own Correspondent-*

•>■'1 I 11 t • • Cavalrymen 011 Way to Sydney . DANGEROUS JOBS

(From Our

ATJOKLAND, Last Niglit. A most unusual sight in Queen street t.o-4ay was a party of Javanese cavalrymen. Tliis is the first timo soldiers of the kingdom of the Netherlands have visited New Zealand. The eight troopers concerned are 9n their way to Sydney to take charge of over 100 remounts for the Netherlands Indies Army. The men are under the eommand of Corporal Laheh} but at Sydney will b© met by two Netherlands indies cavalry officers} and a Netherlands indies army veterinary surgeon. The men are making the round trip aboard the Maetsuycker. Although none of these cavalrymen has been engaged in actual war service, they are called upon to periurin various dangerous duties. For xnstanoe, recently there was a serious. disturbance among natives in Netherlands Borneo. A mixed military force was dispatched trom Java, ready for a minor war, but the mere presence of a Netherlands Indies force comprising cavalry, infpntry and air force secured the submission of the natives without a shot being tiredi. The principal danger sjfpot in the Netherlands Indies is the sultanate of Atchin, in the northern part of Sumatra. This was once British territory, but it was exchanged for Singapore, and the Dutch have never forgiven the British. The people of Atchin _ have been a source of trouble ever since. Frequently the people of this sultanate make raids on adjoining Government outposts, raids which are prompted by their proud spirit and opposition to domination by another country. However, the Dutch principal js not to make war on them. They station fore&t outposts comprising a Dutch officer and probably one cavalryman and one jnfantryman. When a raid oeeurs these men follqw the jungle. trail, pmd, like the Canadian Mounted Police, cget their mau'' without the necessity of plunging the countryside into war. In this manner the Dutch are pacifying the few isolated areas which still object to their overlordship. Exoellent Soldiers. Practically all the cavalrymen are recruited from the Ambonese of the south. These men are taller and stronger than the people of Java and Sumatra and make excellent soldiers. They have been employed ip. fighting all over the Netherlands Indies, which stretch from Singapore to Australia. Many of the best fighting men como from the island of Timor, just off the coast of Australia, Owing to the nature of the country, the operatious of the Javanese cavalrymen are uaturally somewhat restricted. Jfixcept on the fiat areas of Sumatra, thq moutttams and jungles prevent the ett'ective use of eavajry. In these areas cavalry is chiefiy used for the transpoi't of mountain batteries. The Javanese cavalrymen who visited Auckland to-day were dejighted with their experience and the kindness extended to them here, but they are apprehensive of the situation in the Far Bast and are keen t,o get back to their regiment.