Show WEEKLY WEE Y NEWS ANALYSIS Dutch Forces Overrun n Indonesia n d onesi a Peace Feeler Offered China Reds eds V. V s. s stand tand Settled If War Comes J In these columns they are those of ut EDITORS EDITOR'S NOTE Wh When n opinion ate are expressed Newspaper Unions Union's new anah t. t and not nece arlly of newspaper I p JAVA SEA I 44 U A V A A MAono tI MA IAP OCEAN WAR WAIl IN INDONESIA Describing the offensive as police action against Indonesian terrorists the Dutch government managed to Invade the Indonesian republic by land sea and air In time to enable Dutch troops to spend Christmas on Java The capital city elty karta 1 was captured in the first hours of fighting and the Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands Nether Nether- lands forces moved easily through Indonesia in an almost bloodless occupation DUTCH PUSH Into Indonesia The young Indonesian republic was fallen on evil days Dutch troops raced through Java and Sumatra in a bloodless occupation threatening threaten aten- aten ing the remaining important centers of the republic DUTCH MARINES had forged to the outskirts of the Republican army's only oil center on Jav Javi Other Netherlands forces in a lightning lightning lightning light light- ning thrust through western Sumatra Sumatra Suma Suma- tra tra were within 40 miles of the chief Republican city on that island Decrying charges of war and invasion invasion invasion in in- the Dutch termed their activities activities ac ac- ac police action Well ahead of their time table the Dutch had effected advances with practically no bloodshed International diplomats turned eyes toward Washington where the United States had been formally asked to grant political and economic economic eco ceo support to the tiny lic lie The Indonesian minister had further urther asked serious consideration of U. U S. S cutting oil off of Marshall Marshall- plan aid to the Netherlands because because because be be- cause of ot the Dutch action in the East Indies The Dutch announcement on the outbreak of hostilities said FOLLOWING a breakdown of Informal talks talks' with the republic after its failure to comply with its truce obligations or to reply to the thelast thelast thelast last Dutch note asking for a binding binding binding bind bind- ing declaration on four essential points the Netherlands government reluctantly finds itself itsel obliged to take military action against terrorist terrorist terrorist ter ter- activities and undisciplined elements In the republic who render any constructive policy impossible The Indonesians had some sup sup- port An American member of the United Nations good offices committee com corn charged the Dutch had violated violated vio via the Indonesian truce agreement agreement agreement agree agree- ment signed last January after the first abortive war in Java had ended U. U S. S DECISION A All II Settled I It If it comes to war with Russia where will the United States st stand Diplomatic informants had no doubt as to the answer Their opinion was firm and immediate The United States is prepared even evenin evenin evenin in advance of a formal mil military tary alliance to coordinate its military forces In Europe with those of the western European powers in the event of open conflict with Rus Rus- sia ala IF SHOOTING ever starts these officials said American forces would come under the general operational oper control of the western European European European Eu Eu- commander Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery of Britain i Montgomery is chairman of the military staff committee of the western European union But these sources added that there is no reason now more than there ever has been to consider that war with Russia is close at hand or unavoidable In fact it was said top officials have great hope that the building up of real power in the western world by devices such as the military arrangement for western Europe will discourage the Russians from committing any overt act HE COUNTRIES in the western European union Britain Belgium France the Netherlands and Luxembourg Luxembourg Lux Lux- embourg are negotiating now with the United States on more permanent perma nent military arrangements Their embassies are working with U. U S S. S state department officials officials' to draft drafta a north Atlantic region security alliance by which the United States State would be committed to help any member nations if 11 any of them were attacked TOPPERS POLL-TOPPERS Mr Truman If 11 there is anything to the adage about he who laughs last laughs best S. S Truman should be chuckling fit to kill himself He not only pole axed the pollsters poll poll- aters with his election victory but snatching matching a hair from the dog thabit that thai bit them he turned up as the most admired man in the world as far faras faras faras as Americans are concerned And he did it in a poll poll Dr George Gallups Gallup's Gallups Gallups Gallup's Gal Gal- lups lup's poll in fact PEACE FEELER To China Reds Time really was running out for forthe forthe forthe the Nationalist government ol ot Chinas China's Generalissimo Chiang Kai Kai- shek Sun Fo son of Dr Sun Yat- Yat sen sen revered father of the Chinese republic was at the helm as premier and had put together a anew anew anew new cabinet We uWe have to fight on he told the cabinet until we can secure an honorable peace with the Communists THUS WAS the cat out of the bag Indications were plain that i Lf if nothing nothing nothing noth noth- ing could be worked out with Chiang in the saddle he might be unhorsed and peace brought to troubled China by other hands Suns Sun's statement which could be viewed as a peace feeler toward the Reds Came as the Communists Communists Communists tightened their squeeze on the big northern city of After his comment about an honorable peace Sun added I UI CAN ASSURE you that we will not surrender outright Such a surrender he said would mean scuttling the antiCommunist anti front and China would become become become be be- come a second Poland or Czechoslovakia Czecho Czecho- slovakia which slovakia which I am trying to pre pre- vent Failure of any enthusiastic reception reception recep recep- tion lion to Madame Chiang's help please visit to Washington and of the nationalist armies to stem the Communist hordes combined to dim any hope for survival of the present nationalist regime GOOD NEWS About Food Out of the welter of news of bad things that might happen came good news of food food among among them report report report re re- re- re port of prospects of lower prices during 1949 1 tOR OR INSTANCE various food authorities authorities au au- au predicted that increased food tood supplies would reduce to some extent the cost of setting the nations nations nation's nations nation's na na- na tion's tables in the coming 12 months Comments to this effect were forthcoming from the annual I industry food issue of the the National Grocers' Grocers bulletin a publication publication cation of the National Association of Retail Grocers Too various indexes of wholesale prices showed the price food level declining In the grocers' grocers bulletin Agriculture Agriculture ture Secretary Brannan said The United States has entered the door of the year of plenty FOOD RETAILERS added rosy tints to the picture with the observation observation observation that prices besides declining slightly would be more stable in 1949 than they have been in the postwar years Breadwinners and householders II greeted the news warmly Both I could stand a lot of price slashing as an ease in such other aggravating ing problems as automobile and housing shortages dwindling dollar value In other fields drafting of the nations nation's youth and threats to peace aboard I DOPE Fewer Addicts Federal narcotic agents could take a breather there breather there were fewer dope addicts in the United States Three experts experts' writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association declared there are i only narcotic addicts in the I nation now and most of them are men These experts declared that the number of drug users has dwindled from between to in 1914 to about at atthe atthe atthe the last count Drug addiction Is a symptom of ofa a basic underlying personality maladjustment mal mal- I adjustment according to the experts ex ex- and victims fall into five I general classes These are are in the order of their numerical importance THOSE WHO become accidentally accidental l ly addicted while taking drugs for illness those who take drugs to relieve psychoneurotic symptoms psychopathic persons who learn through association with other addicts ad diets persons with real mental ill ness who feel better while taking drugs an and ana a minor group with beI behavior behavior be I havior or character disorders RED FACES In Pentagon There were red faces in the Pentagon building seat of army bureaucracy A citizens' citizens committee had declared flatly that the nations nation s military establishment is cumbersome cumber some and costly despite reported unification cation The members speculated that Russia might be trying to achieve victory by bankruptcy in forcing the United States into constantly increasing military expansion THAT APPRAISAL came from a committee of the Commission on Organization of the Executive I Branch of Government established I by the last congress Former PresIdent President President dent Herbert Hoover heads th the tha whole commission Ferdinand Eberstadt Eberstadt Eber- Eber stadt New York financier is chairman chairman chairman chair chair- man of the unit reporting on national national national na na- na- na security Other members include include in in- clude elude educators newspapermen and business executives The committee said th that lt while unification had made the United States far better prepared the cost of defense preparations were alarmingly high in terms of money manpower and drain on resources It cited mistakes it said had been made by the armed forces hence I Ithe the red faces aces in the Pentagon It added that tha t President Truman might well have asked for complete complete com corn mobilization if he had followed the estimate that an immediate m military effort was afoot abroad rather than an intensification of the cold war The agency making the mistake was not identified In the report but there was speculation it stemmed from the air force It appeared too that the army had somehow lost track of of its tanks TAFT Main Event Ohio's U. U S. S Sen Robert A. A Taft longtime big wheel in Republican party affairs conceded in a talk with capital newsmen that he faces a fight for his political life ilie in 1950 TO ONE newsman who asked it Li ithe he had any ideas of seeking the presidency in 1952 Taft replied I uI Iam Iam am going to run for the senate two years from now Frankly my eyes cant can't see a thing beyond November November November Novem Novem- ber 2 1950 1950 or or whatever the date is Its It's going to be a major con con- test Taft was only admitting what all Ohio politicians have known and andall andall andall all labor people are saying To them the only question remaining is who his Democratic opponent will be TAFT RECALLED that he had read some place that labor has three million dollars to spend and they probably will spend one mil million mill lion In Ohio Standing firm on issues which may ultimately drive him out of ot the senate Taft served definite notice notice no no- tice of his unyielding opposition to any administration move to repeal the Taft Hartley law outright F FARMERS ARl No Croesus Contrary to a supposition among many citizens farmers w were re not getting rich on boom time prices THE NATIONAL Planning association association association asso asso- found this out when it raised the question Should farmers use profits from record high farm prices prices' to buy more indoor plumbing give their children better educations or take a trip to Europe Europe or or should they buy more land and expand their farms in the hope of making more money The staid competent Associated Press sampled farmer opinion on these questions Results Many farmers denied they had made any boom time profits claiming that it must have been the western cattlemen cattlemen cat cat- tiemen and wheat growers who made all the money They contended generally that the high price of labor and farm machinery ate up the profits |