Colonization of Javanese in the Outer Provinces of the Netherlands East-Indies

Abstract

DO not know much about this subject from personal experience because my own work in the Netherlands East-Indies never brought me into close contact with Javanese colonization. But we are fortunate in having with us M. Muhlenfeld, whose personal contribution to that great work has been very important in the years during which he was Director of the Department of Internal Affairs at Batavia. As M. Muhlenfeld was prevented by other duties from preparing a lecture on this subject himself, he gave me both his blessing and the assistance of his experience. To be able to understand the importance of colonization of Javanese in other parts of the Indonesian Archipelago, we should bear in mind that it means the creation of tens of thousands, eventually even hundreds of thousands, of prosperous peasants out of the poorest people in the most overcrowded dis? tricts of Java. I consider this to be one of the most beautiful achievements: to prepare the way for large numbers of people to liberate themselves from con? ditions of stark poverty to which they are born, and thereby to open up for them the prospect of attaining by their own energy a prosperous life for them? selves and their families.