In Java only the Javanese may own land – a European may lease it, but a non-Javanese smallholder may never own his farm or garden. As all Indische Jongens are legally Europeans, and incidentally for that privilege became P.O.W.s, in Java they are landless; so that among the large section that lives in the kampongs the chief complaint is that they cannot own their own padi-fields, yet they are clearly not living as or being treated as Dutchmen. ‘All right,’ say some of the Dutch Civil Service, ‘we’ll give them their “land rights” – but then they will be regarded as Javanese and will lose their European status.’ Possibly this would satisfy a section of the kampong dwellers, whose grudge is more often personal against their fathers rather than against the Dutch Government as such.

But this is not what the great bulk of the Eurasians want. Some of them talk about a colony in New Guinea, but they honestly no more want to go there than the average London Jew wants to go to Palestine. What do they want? They say, to be genuinely treated as having equal right with the Europeans of pure descent in Java and the East Indies. They say they are deeper rooted in Java than a European can ever be, and they are fully as cultured and intelligent. They are not particularly identified with the Nationalist Movement – perhaps they would have been more sensible if they were, for if their roots are indeed in Java, one day, when Java is independent, they’ll again be between the devil and the deep.

So what will the ponderous old ‘Totok’ Dutchman do? He is intensely proud of and often boasts about Java, for it was just before the war a comparatively well administered, though carefully controlled, colony. But he has created there a problem that is the biggest of its kind in the world and he’s got to do something about it. When they have time to divert their eyes from their own affairs, the eyes of Eurasians, Asiatics and Europeans will be focussed on the Java stage.

CHAPTER 17

CHUNGKAI was always, at any rate to those in 2 Group, the best camp in Thailand. We used to reckon that if anything was bad in Chungkai, then in any other camp it would probably be worse. Even those who found no particular interest to develop, look back and are grateful for the months they spent there. It was the first and oldest of 2 Group camps, the biggest and nearest to town and, up country, the very word ‘Chungkai’ had symbolised the Elysium of good food and rest – all comparatively speaking.