E NOT RIPE”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 July 1940, Page 8

E NOT RIPE”

JAPANESE INVASION DUTCH EAST INDIES. OPINION OF A VISITOR. ‘'Asia for the Asiatics’—Japan’s order for the day in the present age—was the subject of comment by Mr A. Schuuman, of Bandung, Java. Dutch East Indies, in the course of an interview in Napier. "It must be understool,” said Mi- Schuuman. “that I left Java in the middle of March, and events have moved so quickly since I left that I am more or less out of touch with current opinion in the Dutch East Indies, and I can merely speculate with the knowledge which I have of the people of that country.” Mr Schuuman. however, was not reticent in expressing his views, which, he believed, might be of some assistance in formulating an opinion on the possibility of a Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies—or perhaps an invasion further afield. UNGROUNDED FEARS. Before dealing with the position of the Dutch East Indies in relation to international events of moment, Mr Schuuman expressed the opinion that too much emphasis was laid by New Zealanders and Australians on the possibility of a Japanese invasion of their countries. Mr Schuuman has come to New Zealand after a tour of Australia, and although he has only been in New Zealand a few days, has heard constant talk and expressions of fear regarding an invasion of the Dominion by the Japanese. In connection with this question, Mr Schuuman illustrated his point by the difficulty experienced by Germany in transporting sufficient troops to occupy Norway. “Norway is much nearer Germany than Australia or New Zealand are to Japan.” he said, “and Germany was better equipped and her' organisation was more comprehensive than anything Japan could devise,” he added. In the opinion of Mr Schumann, Japan would not turn her eyes towards New Zealand, as she had little or nothing to gain by an invasion of this country. DIFFERENT POSITION. So much for Japan and New Zealand. The position of the relationship between Japan and the Dutch East Indies was entirely different. By an invasion of the Dutch possessions Japan had everything to gain. Tea, sugar, oil and countless other raw materials which Japan urgently needed could be supplied by the Javanese and Sumatra However, Mr Schuuman was not of the opinion that an invasion would take place in the near future. Unlike Germany, Japan had oceans of time at her disposal. and she did not care whether she invaded the Dutch East Indies in 1947 or 1997. Prior to the outbreak of the present conflict, relations between Japan and the Dutch East Indies were the friendliest, but since the war Japanese trade with these islands had greatly diminished until at the present time it was at a minimum. Japan previously had a fine market with the natives of the Indies, and the severance of this trade was undoubtedly a thorn in the side of the Japanese people. WARM RECEPTION. “I am not divulging a military secret when I say that Java is well prepared for any eventuality,” said Mr Schuuman in outlining Java's defences. The Dutch East Indies had an excellent army, and the islands were well defended. As only reasonable to expect the entire defence of the archipelago would present a difficult problem, but if the Japanese navy was to steam into any of the oil harbours it would receive a "warm” reception.” The oil harbours of Java were different from those of most countries, in that they were surrounded by low hills rising out of the water. On the sides of these hills were situated the oil storage tanks, and should a landj ing be attempted by an invader, an immense plan would be put into operation whereby thousands of tons of oil would be suddenly poured on to the water of the harbour and ignited, and no navy caught in a maelstrom of burning .oil could last long. JAPAN’S FIFTH COLUMN. “Has Japan a ‘fifth column’ in the Dutch East Indies?” Mr Schuuman was asked. “Certainly,” he replied, “and on similar lines to that used by Germany.” - Ostensibly fruit and produce merchant, Japanese ‘fifth columnists’ had been infiltrated into Java for many years, but not sufficient numbers as yet to cause anxiety. The Dutch army police in the East Indies had been wide awake to this activity, and now had put a stop to further immigration of the Japanese ‘fifths.’ Japanese cunning in the matter of the ‘army within' has, according to Mr Schuuman, been in evidence in Java for some years. Political activity by Japanese has been marked for a considerable time, and an open method used by the Japanese was to take Javanese natives to Tokio and educate them politically on the “Asia for the Asiatics” scheme. On their return to Java, these students were working silently for Japan.