A gruesome plan: WIDF council delegation received in Prague
De Nieuwe Nederlander, 4 Mar 1947: the column criticises a plan for cheap letter-sheets for Dutch soldiers in Indonesia, and includes a brief note that the Dutch delegation (Mrs Nolles-Odinot and Mrs Nolles-Heuff) to the WIDF council in Prague was received by Mrs Beneš. The Indonesia link is the colonial war context; n
Yesterday's day...
Nieuwe Vlaardingsche Courant, 5 March 1947: Dutch commentary column on the Indies and Palestine. In one line, 'the Indonesian women's organisation' at talks in Malang is said to consider cooperation with the Dutch impossible after Linggadjati. The organisation is not named and cannot be identified as Gerwis (founded 19
Loose and fast from the Republic
De Locomotief, 13 May 1948: satirical column by an 'Indonesian collaborator' on life in the Republic. It says former Minister of Labour S.K. Trimurti, after the fall of the Amir cabinet, is 'a wiser but sadder woman' who no longer speaks publicly, and that Republican women were reluctant to speak at meetings. Hostile,
Short news Indonesia
Nieuwe Courant, 17 September 1948, p. ?: column of short Indonesia and foreign news (KNIL command changes, Pasundan premier travelling, execution of two TNI and BPRI 'terrorists' who used kampong women as cover in attacks near Salatiga, pilgrim ship, French strike, Huks). No Gerwani or women's movement content.
Latest news: Committee of Good Offices, Madiun arrests, women drowned
De Maasbode, 7 Dec 1948: 'Latest news' column covering the Committee of Good Offices, Dr Beel in Madura, Hatta's stand on the army, and about 3,000 arrests after the Madiun revolt. A brief item reports seven Indonesian women drowned when a prau capsized near Teluknaga. Gerwani/Gerwis and Soetanti Aidit are not mentione
Of and about others: column against den Doolaard on colonial atrocities
Short De Waarheid column (21 Apr 1949) attacking writer A. den Doolaard for a De Linie piece on maltreatment of imprisoned Dutch collaborators, contrasting it with alleged Dutch crimes in Indonesia, including mass killings of women and children. No Gerwani content; background to Dutch colonial-war propaganda.
Indonesia (column with report on the Masamba band)
Emmer Courant 'Indonesië' news column (7 Nov 1949, p.3): Dutch troops to evacuate Solo and Madiun; standing law in Wonosobo; and the murder of Farokafabrieken inspector Th. Pluyter by a band in the Masamba area, 'seems to have been led by' Makassar councillor Salawati Daoed (Salawati Daud), who drove there in a municip
More Marshall aid (news column incl. Masamba murder)
Nieuwsblad voor de Hoeksche Waard en IJselmonde, 7 November 1949, p. 2: news-column fragment including the murder of Th. Pluyter by a gang near Masamba 'apparently led by' Makassar council member Salawati Daud, with six arrests. Other items cover Marshall aid, English replacing Dutch in Indonesian schools and Anak Agun
'From there' (column with item on Salawati Daud)
Het Vrije Volk front-page column 'Van daar' (8 Nov 1949): opens with the claim that Salawati Daud, female member of Makassar's city council, proved to be leader of the band that kidnapped and murdered a Faroko factory representative in South Celebes; six members including 'the female band leader' are arrested. The rest
Our Strength: column on the WIDF Council in Moscow
De Waarheid column "Our Strength" by L.B. (25 Nov 1949) on the WIDF Council meeting in Moscow (15-20 Nov) and the 1948 Budapest congress, reflecting on women's unity and the daily struggle of a Dutch communist housewife. Indonesia appears only in a list of women's liberation struggles.
The lot of Salawati
Nieuwe Courant, 3 December 1949: commentary profiling 'Lot Salawati' (Salawati Daud) as 'very left and very revolutionary', leader of the Masamba gang. It speculates that she was humiliated at the Indonesian Women's Congress in Yogyakarta and then at home in Makassar, and sought rehabilitation through violence; it also
Indonesia in the Netherlands
Column 'Indonesia in the Netherlands' by the paper's Dutch editor (1950-10-25, p. 3): the Aernout case of alleged KNIL corruption, a court martial, worries that Indonesian students in the Netherlands follow communists and Moscow-led groups, a Volksuniversiteit Indonesian culture evening, and troop transfers. Only a mat
Indonesian miscellany (with item on Moedigdio and the Waworoentoe case)
Het Vaderland miscellany column 'Indonesische tjampoeran' (30 Jun 1951, p.12) with many short items. Relevant: an emergency meeting of parliament's home affairs section chaired by Mrs Moedigdio (Mudigdio) resolves to ask the government about Mrs Waworoentoe, dismissed as mayor of Manado and placed under house arrest by
Investigations in North Moluccas (column; Trimurti's Sumatra tour)
Brief news column, Indische Courant voor Nederland, 1 Sep 1951, p. 1. Only Gerwani-relevant item: Mrs Trimurti, chairwoman of the women's organisation 'Sedar' (Gerwis), is on an orientation tour of Sumatra, now in West Sumatra and due in Palembang at month's end. Rest concerns a North Moluccas research expedition.
Indonesian miscellany (with item on Mrs Salawati)
Het Vaderland miscellany column 'Indonesische tjampoeran' (4 Aug 1952, p.6) of short items on sugar workers' strike threats, Medan's mayor, harsh anti-Kahar Muzakar rules in Makassar and prison conditions of SOBSI detainees. One item says Mrs Salawati of Makassar received a moped from the provincial Keamanan staff as a
News from Indonesia, 15 July 1953 (Gerwis and the Rosenberg children)
Local news column, Indische Courant voor Nederland, 15 Jul 1953, p. 3. Only relevant item: Gerwis urged the American government, via the US embassy in Jakarta, to guarantee the welfare of the two Rosenberg children. Other items concern a lost copra boat and Mount Sumbing.
Mistakes of the past (on SOBSI and Gerwis)
Het Vrije Volk opinion piece 'Fouten van vroeger' (14 May 1954, p.15) on Indonesian labour relations: SOBSI has profited from foreign employers' past neglect, the government chooses political over economic paths, and when strike leaders are prosecuted SOBSI and the communist women's association Gerwis appear in court w
Preparation of election details
Java-Bode, 8 September 1955, p. 2: news column. The Gerwani branch Djomblang (Jombang) formed a committee to run a child day-care centre during the elections so mothers can vote calmly. Other items concern Surabaya mobilising students as polling-station order helpers and Colonel Simbolon's visit to Sukarno.
Events in Indonesia (conclusion): Harahap government and mass organisations
De Waarheid, 8 Oct 1955, p. 3: final part of Cor Geugjes's series on events in Indonesia, arguing the Harahap government (which replaced Ali Sastroamidjojo) is resisted: elections could not be postponed, New Guinea was raised at the UN, and preliminary results defeat Masjumi and PSI. Cites PKI (500,000), SOBSI (3 milli
P.N.I. (analysis of the 1955 election result)
Het Parool column 'P.N.I.' (11 Nov 1955) analysing the 1955 Indonesian election result: the PNI did well despite corruption; Sukarno's second marriage (Hartini) had been thought to hurt him as it moved many prominent Indonesian women to militant counter-action, but the fight against polygamy was a concern of a handful
Bandung in brief
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad 'Bandung in short' column (1957-01-02, p. 2), partly unreadable. Relevant items: Gerwani's regional congress will end with a reception on 3 January at the Gedung Jajasan in Bandung to announce its decisions; Gerwani Tasikmalaya sent a statement to the Constituent Assembly wanting the constituti
Bandung in brief
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad 'Bandung in short' column (1957-10-19, p. 2) of local news. Relevant: Gerwani, which now has fifteen kindergartens across West Java, has begun a one-month emergency course to train teaching staff, with theory taught by Miss Sri Sulistiewaty of IPPI. Other items cover rice distribution, a Red Cr
Sukarno, the arch-intriguer: profile including the Hartini marriage
Long profile of Sukarno by C.H. Schaap in De Tijd (6 Feb 1958) tracing his career and manoeuvres. It notes that in Oct 1954 his marriage to Hartini caused general indignation among Indonesian women, who remembered his book "Sarinah", and that Fatmawati left him. Gerwani is not named.
Special intercession: Dutch church prayer on West Irian; Gerwani conference mention
De Waarheid, 18 Dec 1961, p. 6: mainly the Dutch Reformed Church's call for special prayer on West Irian. The last paragraph notes that in Jakarta Foreign Minister Subandrio spoke on West Irian at the congress of the 'large progressive women's movement Gerwani', after Sukarno's address the previous week stressing unity
Communists in Indonesia: isolated position despite five million followers
Algemeen Handelsblad analysis by a contributor (1963-06-01) on the PKI's isolated position despite about five million followers. It credits the PKI with 1 million members plus 1.5 million in 'the communist women's organisation Gerwani', and discusses food prices, the lifting of the state of siege, SOKSI's rise and West
Self-defence from panic: commentary on the hunt for communists
De Volkskrant commentary (11 Oct 1965) warning that the hunt for communists could drive Aidit's followers to armed self-defence. It describes Muslim demonstrators wrecking Aidit's and Njoto's houses and then "the headquarters of the communist women's organisation Gerwani", and army occupation of PKI headquarters in Ace
Indonesia: slap for Omar Dhani
Algemeen Handelsblad column (1965-11-18) on post-coup Indonesia: Suharto slaps Omar Dhani, rumours of poisoning, false communist accusations, and an RPKAD anecdote. Reports that Mrs. Subandrio, chair of Kowani, announced Gerwani had been expelled from the federation; Berita Yudha mocked her, and Mrs. Nasution reportedl
And shame (Solo, November 1965)
Limburgsch Dagblad, 20 November 1965, p. 5: correspondent's column from Solo. Paratroopers daily parade 'enemies of the people', yesterday three Gerwani members, described as involved in the massacres 'in the most dissolute manner', forced to lie face down on hot asphalt before a passive crowd. It also describes ex-may
Indonesia: golden time
Algemeen Handelsblad column 'Golden time' (1965-11-29) on post-coup Indonesia: loyalty advertisements in newspapers, frozen bank accounts for suspected persons, price rises and Conefo stamps, a quarrel in a Malang court. A final item, 'Gerwani, kill her', describes villagers near Tasikmalaya chasing 'Gerwani' with kniv
Vilification of Sukarno after loss of 'president for life' title
Commentary by C.H. Schaap in De Tijd (10 Sep 1966) on the campaign to vilify Sukarno after he lost the "president for life" title, including his private life and wives (Fatmawati, Hartini, Ratna Sari Dewi, Haryati). It says this is "a slap in the face for the Indonesian women's movement, which strives for monogamy"; Ge