Batavia, Mar, 10.
The Governor-General, in a decree today, proclaimed that shipping was a vital war industry and therefore its personnel was placed under the com, pulsory Civilian Service Act end not permitted to leave jobs.
He also placed shipping concerns under the Netherlands East Indies Admiralty.
Meanwhile, the Economic Affairs Ministry stated that all traffic tobacco, cinnamon bark, coconut oil, capon seed oil, pepper and paraffin would be suspended for a month, permitting N.E.I. bottoms to concentrate on transporting tin, latex and rubber to the United States.
The Dutch Foreign Minister and the Minister of the Colonies were en route here from London to "confer with the Governor-General," it was announced today—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.