Directory_and_Chronicle_1926 — Page 1388

NETHERLANDS-INDIA

1.

SITUATION, AREA AND POPULATION

The Dutch possessions in Asia are situated in the Indian Archipelago, between N. and 11° S. latitude and 95° 40′ and about 141° E. longitude. They comprise Sumatra ith adjacent islands, the archipelago of Bintang or Riau, the archipelago of Lingga, e Karimon, Tambelan, Anambas, and Natoena islands, the Islands Bangka and elitoeng, Java and Madoera, the southern and eastern part of Borneo, Celebes, and alf e other islands eastward of Borneo and Java to 141° E. longitude, with the exception the eastern part of Timor (Timor-Deli). Java and Madoera extend over 2,388.4 and he other islands together over 32,397.5 geographical square miles.

With regard to the legal position, the population is divided into Europeans, with ose who are considered equal to them (half-castes, Armenians, Japanese), and natives, ith those who are considered equal to them (Chinese, Klings, Arabs, etc.). On the 1st ovember, 1920, the total number of Europeans and of those who are considered be equal to them was 169,708, including the Army and the Navy. On the st November, 1920, there were 154,099 Dutchmen, 3,412 Germans, 580 Belgians, 687 British, 404 Frenchmen, 349 Swiss, and a few from other countries in urope, America, etc., The number of Chinese was 809,647, of whom 384,218 were Java and Madoera. The natives numbered 34,433,476 in Java and Madoera, nd the total number of natives on all the other islands together was calculated 13,871,144. The number of Arabs was 44,921, of whom 27,806 were in Java and adoera, and that of other foreign Orientals (Moors, Bengalese, Klings, Malays, and frican negroes) 21,938, of whom 3,383 were in Java and Madoera.

A great part of the Europeans are employed in, or retired from, the Government ervice; next in number are the planters, traders and industrials. The Arabs, Chinese, nd other Orientals are almost all tradesmen, but it must be mentioned that some hinese are in possession of, or are employed on, plantations in Java, and that upwards 54,000 Chinese are working as labourers on the tobacco estates on the East Coast of umatra, and that thousands of Chinese labourers are employed under European uperintendence in the exploitation of the tin mines of Bangka and Belitoeng. The atives cultivate the soil; in the larger places they also are mechanics, but the ractice of the handicrafts is for the greater part in the hands of Chinese.

HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT

When the Dutch in the last years of the sixteenth century established themselves the Archipelago they found the Portuguese there. In order to be strong against ther European rivals, the Dutch East Indian Company was established in 1602 by harter of the States General of the United Netherlands, granting a monopoly for the trade in all the countries east of the Cape of Good Hope to the Straits of Magellan, nd the right to make treaties with Indian princes, to make war, build fortifications, find give commissions to civil and military officers, etc. The East Indian Company as nearly independent and disposed of large capital. The first proceedings were ommercial, but soon the Company extended its power and conquered territory in Java ind the Moluccos. The first "loge" was established at Bantam, then at Jakatra, where he Governor-General, J. P. Coen, made a fortress, which he called Batavia (1619). after a long period of great prosperity the Company fell into decay, the difficulties ncreased under a heavy burden of debts, and in 1800 the States General cancelled the harter and took the administration of the possessions into their own hands. At the Came time the British, during the war with France and the Netherlands, conquered the greater part of the Dutch colonies. In 1802, by the treaty of peace concluded at miens, the colonies, with the exception of Ceylon, were restored to the Batavian Republic, as the Netherlands were then called, but during the war with England that vas soon afterwards declared the Dutch again lost all their possessions. After the Ifall of Napoleon, in 1816, the greater part of the colonies were restored to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and by the London treaty of 17th March, 1824, Malacca and the Jestablishments on the continent of India were exchanged for Bengkoeloe.