Esperance Bay 'Double Cross'

An attempt was made to prevent Indonesians on the British ship Esperance Bay from landing at Sourabaya, despite an official Australian pledge that they would suffer no interference on their way home to the NEI.

Instructions to land some of the men in Timor were later withdrawn after a protest meeting of the Indonesians.

The Esperance Bay left recently with 1,400 Indonesians who had refused to man Dutch ships.

A Federal official accompanied them to see that they reached their home ports safely.

A correspondent from the Esperance Bay, now at Timor, reports that Brigadier-General Dyke, AIF chief in that area, issued an order, apparently received from Australia, that 40 men were to be taken ashore.

No Safe Conduct

Reason given for the order was that Lord Louis Mountbatten, CIC of the South East Asia Command, would not grant these men safe conduct to land at Sourabaya.

Included among these men were Senan, Soeparmin and Saedyut, former political exiles from the notorious Tanah Merah concentration camp in New Guinea.

“After a conference lasting about 45 minutes it was decided that they should go ashore voluntarily,” the correspondent says. “It is to be noted, however, that whatever our decision, the instructions were to use force if necessary.

“Later the sub-committee decided to call an urgent mass meeting of all Indonesians aboard.

“Here it was unanimously decided that if these men were taken ashore, all men would leave the ship.

“This decision was forwarded to the Brigadier-General, and another conference was called.

“The men argued that before leaving Australia, Mr Calwell had guaranteed that they would all reach Indonesia without trouble.”

Order Was Cancelled

The correspondent says that when the ultimatum was presented, the Brigadier adjourned the meeting and communicated with Australia. The order to put the men ashore was then cancelled.

The men have cabled the NSW Labor Council president, Mr Guy Anderson, and asked the Labor movement to ensure that pledges of non-interference are carried out.

The Labor Council last week unanimously agreed to send a deputation to the KPM (Dutch) shipping line and to the Indian High Commissioner in Canberra, to demand that feeding of striking Indian seamen be the responsibility of the KPM and Indian Government.

Other recommendations made by the Council are:

• That seamen be transferred to other companies with ships not going to Indonesia or that they be repatriated home.
• Payment of all money due to seamen and the issue of a clean discharge.
• Return of pass books, pay books and all other personal property held by the KPM.
• That the Federal Government be asked to place Dutch ships back in the pool, to be used to load food for Australian troops in Wewak.

QANTAS Airways employees who refused to work on Dutch flying boats at Rose Bay decided at a Trades Hall meeting on Friday not to return to work before reinstatement of two workers who were dismissed for refusing instructions to work on Dutch planes.

No victimisation or discrimination are conditions of their return to work.

Building workers on the Belfield housing job unanimously carried a resolution last week asking the Federal Government to remove the Dutch from Australia.

Another resolution called on the Government to give Customs the authority to remove all arms and munitions from Dutch ships in Sydney.