chief prize, along with Malaya, in the drive to the south in 1940-41 that brought Japan into. diplomatic.confliet with the United States, a conflict that led directly to Pearl Harbor. It remains, politically and strategically, the key country in the region even if its valuable oil, rubber and tin no longer are crucial factors in the world balance of'-power. No nation in the léng periphery of Communist China between Japan in the north and India in the south has comparable. importance."
-- It-is this- glittering prize that led the U.S. strategists to pay increasing attention to the area. The Times puts it. this way?
"AS a result, Indonesia has been a significant factor since 1950 in the decisions that progressively have taken the United States déeper and deeper into the Vietnam morass. Washington has seen Indonesia and India as the two most vital of the 'dominoes' it has feared would topple if Vietnam were to fall to Communism."
_ But, argues the Times, Indonesia has moved "first toward, then away from, Communism" without reference to the events in ‘Vietnam or Washington' S ‘policies. It was the "nationalists in Indo- ‘ nesia's army" who, “on their own," moved against the Communists and set out to crush then.
"The struggle in Indonesia is not completely over, although almost the entire top leadership of the P.K.I. has been arrested or killed and more than 100,000 lesser Communists apparently have been ‘massacred by Moslem and nationalist groups." With Sukarno still in office and offering at least’ some resistance to the generals, they have "not dared either to seek foreign economic aid or, an essential prerequisite, to liquidate the Malaysian conflict." Yet both moves "are essential," in the opinion of the Times to overcome a growing economic crisis.
The British imperialists come in at this point. They believe
that "the point of no return in army control of Indonesia will come some time this year," says the Times, end that this will be signaled by a move, in defiance of Sukarno, to negotiate a Malaysian settlement. The British are all for this, but it means a--deal. "Britain's ultimate withdrawal from her base at Singapore will; be an unavoidable part of this deal, in the opinion of London.:"..So the British want Washington to finance a substitute. ‘base in Western Australia.
"But the Johnson Administration -~- unwilling to be left alone in Southeast Asia so long as.the Vietnam war continues -- is urging. the British to hold on in Singapore whatever the cost. Thus, the war in Vietnam threatens ‘to cut across a far more vital interest, that of. stabilizing ‘the. most~ sensitive region in Southeast Asia."
Besides - "stabilizing" Indonesia by strengthening the generals as.much-as possible; ‘i.¢o;-by granting-them an attractive diplomatic. deal plus a trough generously. -filled with dollars;.-the Times visualizes something even bigger: "An Indonesian-Malaysian : settlement ‘could open the way for the long-discussed Maphilindo confederation with the Philippines, which,.-in turn, might.-be extended one. dey in looser form ‘to- include. Cembodia , " baos, Thailand and Burma." ;
‘Thus ‘the Times” comes to its conciusion: “There. could be no : greater irony than to have this evolution stalled by an American war in Vietnam:that was intended, in. gubstantial part, to save an Indonesia that already has saved - itself.". re
Be, The Times and the.sector of the American capitalist. class for: which it speaks are,~in.effect, charging - the. Johnsen administration with maintaining an. ‘inflexible attitude -in..a situation, that requires considerable-tactieal flexibility, was ‘they view.it,; But both sides are united in their basic aim. What they want. is the . stabilization of the colonial world as a vast reserve for exploitation under: Washington s leadership. and guidance. —
“The editors of what-is- “probably ‘the most influential news— . paper . in the United States make quite clear that what. really counts. after all in the business of imperialist war-making is the size and wealth of the colonial prize at stake. That is why they speak this language when they try to convince a different sector .df thé capitalist class that it woukd ‘be wise to make at least ; ia tactical. shift in foreign policy. ©.
Those who oppose the U.S. aggression in Vietnam on the grounds of the: fundamental right of a people to determine their own fate should ‘note this well even as they seek to take advantage of the rift , however: narrow. rit may Pes among the rulers. ::
U.S.Senator Géorge McGovern from’ ‘South’ “Dakota, a Democratic critic of Johnson's policy in Vietnam stated February 14, "There's a growing disenchantment in the Senate." He added that 96 of the 100 senators "think we made a mistake ‘in ever being involved in the first place."