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“A Vital British Interest”: Britain, Japan, and the Security of Netherlands India in the Inter-War Period

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 April 2011

Nicholas Tarling
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Extract

Studies of Indonesia in the twentieth century have properly concentrated on the history of the nationalist movement, but its external relations have been unduly neglected. It is indeed a commonplace that the Japanese invasion had a decisive impact on the fortunes of the nationalist movement and of its antagonists. But the invasion was the climax of a sequence of developments that brought the security of the Netherlands' tenure of Netherlands India into question. Apart from their intrinsic interest, those developments provide an additional context within which to appraise the nationalist movement and the Dutch reaction to it.

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Articles
Information
Journal of Southeast Asian Studies , Volume 9 , Special Issue 2: Japan and the Western Powers in Southeast Asia , September 1978 , pp. 180 - 218
Copyright
Copyright © The National University of Singapore 1978

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References

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37 Greene to Balfour, 21 Sept. 1917, F.O.371/2949 [216158/26331.

38 Townley to Balfour, 4 Nov. 1918, no. 243, and reply, F.O.371/3235 [188362/25711].

39 W.O. communication, 12 May 1919, F.O.371/3821 [72914/69430].

40 W.O. communication, 4 July 1919, F.O.371/3821 [98639/69430].

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42 Crosby to Çurzon, 5 Oct. 1920, no. 159, F.O.371/5489 [W2000/2000/29].

43 Crosby to Curzon, 23 Dec. 1920, no. 216, F.O.371/6696 [F901/901/23]. See also Crosby to Curzon, 14 Mar. 1921, no. 48, F.O.371/7088 [W4217/333/29].

44 Minute on Crosby to Curzon, 24 Dec. 1920, no. 218, F.O.371/6696 [F902/902/23].

45 As note 5. On Ashton-Gwatkin, see The Times, 31 Jan. 1976. obituary.

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47 Vandenbosch, op. cit., pp. 207–8.

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49 Telegram from Balfour, 4 Jan. 1922, no. 22T, F.O.371/8042 [F95/1/23]. Notes of conversation, 3 Jan. in Sperling to Foreign Sec, 11 Jan. no. 106, F.O.371/8042 [F368/1/23].

50 Telegram to Balfour, 11 Jan. 1922, no. 186, attached to F.O.371/8042 [F90/1/23].

51 Marling to Curzon, 7 Feb. 1922, no. 70; 17 Mar. no. 137, F.O.371/8042 [F663, 1188/1/23]. Before the war the Dutch had sought U.S. involvement in the preservation of the status quo in the South Seas. Smit, op. cit., I, 203–6.

52 Crosby to Foreign Sec, 19 June 1923, no. 56; 10 Sept. no. 95, F.O.371/9477 [W5875, 8213/1888/29].

53 Crosby to MacDonald, 24 Oct. 1924, no. 137, and minute thereon, F.O.371/10321 [F3958/3332/23]. See also Crosby to Chamberlain, 3 Jan. 1925, no. 4, F.O.371/11084 [W1038/156/29].

54 Fitzmaurice to Chamberlain, 16 Aug. 1926, no. 86, F.O.371/11701 [F3990/3990/61]. See also Fitzmaurice to Chamberlain, 13 Oct. 1926, no. 111, F.O.371/11924[W10923/252/29].

55 Fitzmaurice to Chamberlain, 7 July 1926, no. 72, F.O.371/11926 [W7384/7384/29]

56 Enclosure in Crosby to Chamberlain, 11 Nov. 1927, no. 162, and minute thereon, F.O.371/12517 [F9207/9207/61].

57 Crosby to Henderson, 17 Sept. 1929, no. 115, and minute thereon, F.O.371/13963 [F5367/5367/61].

58 Crosby to Henderson, 18 Sept. 1929, no. 116, F.O.371/14146 [W10248/840/29].

59 Bailey to Foreign Sec, 15 Feb. 1932, no. 20, F.O.371/16488 [W3032/2193/29].

60 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 28 Nov. 1932, no. 100, F.O.371/16488 [W14012/2193/29].

61 Conversation of Sir L. Oliphant and French ambassador, 3 Mar. 1933, F.O.371/17165 [F1539/1539/23]. For the mutiny, see Blom, J.C.H., De Muiterij op de Zeren Provincien (Bussum, 1975), ch. 2Google Scholar.

62 Snow to Simon, 27 Apr. 1933, no. 239; Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 2 May 1933, no. 53, F.O.371/17165 [F3629, 2813/1539/23].

63 Russell to Simon, 9 Mar. 1933, no. 98, F.O.371/17165 [F1824/1539/23].

64 Telegram from Russell, 10 Mar. 1933, no. 4, F.O.371/17165 [F1709/1539/23].

65 As n.63.

66 Lindley to Simon, 31 Mar. 1933, no. 192, F.O.371/17165 [F2948/1539/23].

67 Snow to Simon, 27 Apr. 1933, as n. 62.

68 Russell to Simon, 10 July 1933, no. 260, F.O.371/17165 [F4704/1539/23].

69 Matsuoka's statement to Het Vaderland, 6 Mar. 1933, F.O.371/17165 [F3184/1539/23].

70 Minute on Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 10 Mar. 1933, no. 31, F.O.371/17406 [W4122/663/29].

71 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 2 Dec. 1932, no. 102, F.O.371/17403 [W67/66/29].

72 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 1 May 1933, no. 52, F.O.371/17407 [W6671/663/29].

73 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 29 June 1933, no. 77, F.O.371/17407 [W9005/663/29].

74 Snow to Simon. 27 Apr. 1933, no. 244, F.O.371/17403 [W6119/66/29].

75 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 9 Aug. 1933, no. 103, F.O.371/17403 [W10377/66/29].

76 Memorandum, 13 Dec. 1933, F.O.371/17407 [A14395/663/29].

77 Carey to D.O.T., 25 Oct. 1932, F.O.371/16489 [W13298/2386/29].

78 As n. 71.

79 Memorandum in Lindley to Simon, 10 Jan. 1933, no. 18, F.O.371/17406 [W1580/663/29].

80 As n. 71. For the treaty of 1871, see A. J. S. Reid, The Contest for North Sumatra (Kuala Lumpur, 1969), pp. 291–92.

81 Fitzmaurice to Simon, 19 Dec. 1932, no. 111, F.O.371/17403 [W746/66/29].

82 Vandenbosch, op. cit., p. 215.

83 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 12 Aug. 1933, no. 106, F.O. 371/17406 [W10379/445/29].

84 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 21 Sept. 1933, no. 120, F.O.371/17406 [W12215/445/29].

85 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 18 Sept. 1933, no. 118, F.O.371/17407 [W12213/663/29].

86 Montgomery to Simon, 10 Feb. 1934, no. 61, F.O.371/18566 [W1707/86/29].

87 Telegram from Montgomery, 21 Apr. 1934, no. 13, F.O. 371/18566 [W3834/86/29].

88 Ibid.

89 Minute on telegram from Fitzmaurice, 28 June 1934, no. 16, F.O.371/18571 [W6211/90/29].

90 Minutes on B.O.T. to F.O., 10 July 1934, F.O.371/18571 [W6560/90/29].

91 Fitzmaurice to D.O.T., 25 June 1934, F.O.371/18571 [W6623/90/29].

92 Correspondence in Binney to Shuckburgh, 13. Sept. 1934, F.O.371/18567 [W8257/86/29].

93 Clive to Simon, 21 June 1934, no. 340, F.O.371/18567 [W6665/88/29].

94 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 20 June 1934, no. 89; F.O. to Admiralty, W.O., Aug. 1934, F.O.371/18579 [W6893/6893/29].

95 Clive to Simon, 13 July 1934, no. 384, F.O.371/18567 [W7392/88/29].

96 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 21 Nov. 1934, no. 148, F.O.371/18568 [W11220/88/29].

97 Telegram from Fitzmaurice, 28 June 1934, no. 16, and minute thereon, F.O.371/18571 [W6211/90/29]. See also de Graeff, A. C. D., ed., Van Vriend tot Vijand (Amsterdam, 1945), pp. 185–87Google Scholar.

98 Fitzmaurice to D.O.T., 2 July 1934, F.O.371/18571 [W6865/90/29].

99 Fitzmaurice to D.O.T., 24 July 1934, F.O.371/18571 [W7321/90/29].

100 Montgomery to Foreign Sec., 5 Sept. 1934, no. 322, F.O.371/18571 [W8083/90/29]. Fitzmaurice to D.O.T., 18 Sept. F.O.371/18572 [W8789/90/29].

101 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 13 Nov. 1934, F.O.371/18572 [W10401/90/29]. Telegram from Fitzmaurice, 24 Dec. F.O.371/18572 [W1209/90/29].

102 Walsh to Eden, 23 Dec. 1935, no. 136E, F.O.371/20504 [W4/4/29].

103 A. Trotter, Britain and East Asia, 1933–1937 (London, 1975), pp. 97 ff.

104 Memoranda in Dickens to Orde, 22 May 1934, F.O.371/18186 [F2996/652/23].

105 C.I.D., 264th meeting, 31 May 1934, Item 3, CAB 2/6, P.R.O.

106 Minutes on Dickens to Orde, 22 May 1934; reply, 14 Aug. F.O.371/18186 [F2996/652/23].

107 Ibid., Montgomery to Orde, 12 Nov. 1934, attached; also F.O.371/18186 [F6849/652/23].

108 Ibid., minute.

109 Clive to Orde, 4 Oct. 1934, and minute thereon, F.O.371/18186 [F6504/652/23]; Trotter, op. cit., p. 103.

110 Fitzmaurice to Orde, 23 Oct. 1934, F.O.371/18186 [F7022/652/23].

111 Fitzmaurice to Orde, 5 Nov. 1934, F.O.371/18186 [F7370/652/23].

112 As n. 110.

113 Ibid., minute.

114 Memorandum, 4 Jan. 1935, F.O.371/19353 [F149/149/23].

115 Orde to Montgomery, 6 Dec. 1934, F.O.371/18186 [F6849/652/23].

116 Admiralty to F.O., 9 Jan. 1935, F.O.371/19353 [F260/231/23].

117 Osborne to Orde, 31 Dec. 1934, F.O.371/19353 [F231/231/23].

118 Memorandum, 16 Feb. 1935, F.O.371/19354 [F1234/231/23]; Dickens to Orde, 23 Apr. F.O.371/19354 [F1962/231/23].

119 F.O. to Sec., C.I.D., 27 May 1935, F.O.371/19354 [F3404/231/23].

120 Telegram from Walsh, 24 Apr. 1936, no. 9; Walsh to Foreign Sec., s.d., no. 47; conversation between Netherlands Minister and Mr. Eden, 29 Apr., F.O.371/20290 [F2328, 2435, 2408/2328/43].

121 Clive to Eden, 21 May 1936, no. 279, and minutes thereon, F.O.371/20290 [F3477/2328/23].

122 Telegram from Clive, 30 May 1936, no. 156, and minute thereon, F.O.371/20290 [F3067/2328/23].

123 Montgomery to Sargent, 11 Apr. 1936, F.O.371/20507 [W3351/498/29].

124 Montgomery to Sargent, 22 Apr. 1936, F.O.371/20507 [W3583/498/29].

125 Ibid., minutes and papers attached.

126 Duff Cooper to Eden, 10 June 1936, minutes and papers attached, F.O.371/20507 [W5230/498/29].

127 1245–B, 8 July 1936, CAB 4/24.

128 Minute, 10 July 1936, on F.O.371/20507 [W6184/498/29].

129 C.I.D, 280th meeting, 10 July 1936, CAB 2/6.

130 Cabinet, 52(36)7y 15 July 1936, CAB 23/85.

131 1256-B, 27 July 1936, CAB 4/24.

132 Montgomery to Gwatkin, 8 July 1936; Whitehill to Elgin, 3 July, F.O.371/20508 [W6319, 6047/621/29]. Telegram from Le Rougetel, 26 Aug., no. 23, F.O.371/20507 [W9806/498/29].

133 Eden to Le Rougetel, 21 July 1936, no. 298, F.O.371/20504 [W6771/252/29].

134 Oldfield to Harvey, 24 July 1936, F.O.371/20508 [W7173/621/29].

135 Minutes on Phillips to Strang, 8 July 1937, F.O.371/21026 [F4007/1450/61].

136 Oldfield to Harvey, 4 Dec. 1936, F.O.371/20508 [W17461/498/29].

137 Montgomery to Eden, 8 Dec. 1936, no. 590, F.O.371/120504 [W17858/242/29]. The secret clause was not of this nature. Ikle, F. W., German-Japanese Relations, 1936–1940 (New York, p. 38)Google Scholar.

138 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 5 Dec. 1936, no. 148, F.O.371/21024 [F176/176/61].

139 Trotter, op. cit., ch. 11.

140 Memorandum, 6 May 1937, F.O.371/21024 [F2638/597/61].

141 Crowley, J. B., Japan's Quest for Autonomy (Princeton, 1966), pp. 296–97Google Scholar.

142 Minutes on Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 22 July 1937, no. 106, F.O.371/21026 [F5865/1326/61].

143 Telegram from British Delegation, 15 Sept. 1937, no. 34, and papers attached, F.O.371/21025 [F6568/597/61]. On the Neutrality Act of 1937, see D. Borg and Shumpei Okamoto, eds., Pearl Harbor as History (New York, 1973), p. 312.

144 Enclosure in Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 24 Nov. 1937, no. 194, F.O.371/21026 [F11722/1326/61].

145 F.O. to Montgomery, 13 Dec. 1937, no. 527, F.O.371/21026 [F10516/1326/61].

146 Memorandum, 23 Nov. 1937, and papers attached, F.O.371/21026 [F10283/1450/61]; 1380-B, 3 Dec. 1937, CAB 4/27.

147 As n. 144; also Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 18 Dec. 1937, no. 222, F.O.371/22174 [F962/927/61].

148 Conversation between Netherlands Minister and Sir R. Vansittart, 1 Dec. 1937, and note thereon, F.O.371/21026 [F10516/1326/61].

149 Conversation, 31 Dec. 1937, F. O. 371/21025 [F11776/597/61]. On Anglo-American cooperation, see Clifford, N. R., Retreat from China (London, 1967), pp. 48 ff.Google Scholar, and Borg, D., The United States and the Far Eastern Crisis of 1933–1938 (Cambridge, Mass., 1964), pp. 488 ffCrossRefGoogle Scholar.

150 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 22 July 1937, no. 106, F.O.371/21026 [F5865/1326/61].

151 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 12 Dec. 1937, no. 189, and minutes thereon, F.O.371/21041 [F11265/615/23].

152 1385–B, 7 Jan. 1938, CAB 4/27.

153 Minutes F.O.371/22172 [F545/487/61].

154 C.I.D. 307th meeting, 20 Jan. 1938, Item 1, CAB 2/7.

155 Minutes by Ronald, 16, 26 Feb. 1938, F.O.371/22172 [F1989/487/61].

156 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 21 Apr. 1938, no. 105, F.O.371/22190 [F4057/2140/23].

157 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 23 Dec. 1938, no. 344, F.O.371/22168 [F13915/253/61].

158 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 31 Oct. 1938, no. 299, F.O.371/22169 [F12274/318/61].

159 As n. 157.

160 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 24 Nov. 1936, no. 142E, F.O.371/20504 [W18942/6/29].

161 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 18 Dec. 1936, no. 152E, F.O.371/21022 [F39/39/61].

162 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 25 Mar. 1937, no. 42E, F.O.371/21022 [F1916/39/61].

163 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 19 Apr. 1937, no. 50E, F.O.371/21022 [F2480/39/61].

164 Van Mook, op. cit., p. 22.

165 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 27 Apr. 1937, no. 54E, and minute thereon, F.O.371/21022 [F2597/39/61].

166 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 28 May 1938, no. 153E; 1 Sept. F.O.371/22174 [F6580, 10090/929/61].

167 Bland to Halifax, 21 Feb. 1939, no. 104, F.O.371/23548 [F1821/1821/61].

168 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 22 Feb. 1939, no. 42E, F.O.371/23548 [F2321/1821/61].

169 Fitzmaurice to Ronald, 7 Mar. 1939, and minute thereon, F.O.371/23546 [F3223/687/61].

170 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 16 Dec. 1938, no. 339; 18 Feb. 1939, no. 36, F.O.371/23538 [F646, 2115/82/61]. See also Lambert to Foreign Sec., 21 June 1939, no. 132; 21 July, no. 152, F.O.371/23538 [F6674, 8326/82/61].

171 P.Q., 8 Feb. 1939, F.O.371/23547 [F1337/1337/61].

172 Bland to Halifax, 23 Feb. 1939, no. 108, F.O.371/23547 [F1907/1337/61].

173 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 10 Apr. 1939, no. 76, F.O.371/23549 [F4495/2644/61].

174 Fitzmaurice to Foreign Sec., 6 Apr. 1939, no. 75, F.O.371/23549 [F3961/2742/61].

175 W.O. to F.O., 18 Mar. 1939, F.O.371/23549 [F2742/2742/61].

176 Lambert to Foreign Sec., 27 July 1939, no. 154, F.O.371/23549 [F8465/2742/61].