EXPLOSION IN THE ORIENT
SEELY, Lt. Comdr. C. S.
Explosion In The Orient By LT. COMDR. C. S. SEELY THE situation in the East Indies, French Indo-China, and for that matter the whole of Southeastern Asia, is becoming more explosive than ever....
...The fact that Japanese imperialists are the direct cause of the Indonesians' revolt against the whites, does not alter the general picture...
...The opinions and assertions expressed above are the private ones of the writer and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the Navy Department or the naval service at large...
...That is, unless they are forced by arms to do so...
...For these reasons the Indonesians cannot possibly win their freedom unless world public opinion (and especially that in America, Britain, France, and Holland) forces a recognition of their right to be free...
...Until the Japanese surrender the natives of Indonesia had no weapons with which to challenge their white overlords, and of course, all they have now are those taken from the Japanese...
...However, no freedom can be won by the masses of Indonesia by negotiation with the whites...
...The natives have absolutely no confidence or respect for white negotiators, and will not accept their pledges or agreements unless they are completely powerless to do otherwise...
...The whites obtained their power there by force and trickery, and have held it solely by the same means...
...That is impossible...
...The supremacy of the white race in Indonesia was challenged, and badly shaken, during the last four years and I am confident that no matter what the outcome of the present struggle, it will never be as strong as before...
...THE colored (yellow-brown-black) races now feel that they have a chance to throw off the yoke of the white race, and it is clear they will make a desperate—and if necessary bloody—attempt to do so...
...Also there is no possibility of them getting any more weapons from any source...
...Apparently neither the British, Dutch, nor French have any intention of abandoning their old imperialistic policies there, and it seems clear that at long last the natives have finally decided to rid themselves of their foreign masters...
...America can render a great service to humanity now by taking a strong stand against imperialism...
Vol. 9 • November 1945 • No. 45
