Foreign News: Chip on the Shoulder

The optimism heard at The Hague found only a faint echo some 8,000 miles away at Jogjakarta, the makeshift capital of the Indonesian Republic. As news of the agreement crackled in over the shortwave radio last week, there was increasing discontent among the nationalists. A leader of the Labor Party summed up their complaints: "Too many concessions to the Dutch."

Some Indonesian editorial snipers blamed the U.S. for everything. Cried the newspaper Nasional: "We demand an integral and undivided independence. But what do we see today? [New Guinea] was pawned for one year . . . America is going to...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!