W. H. Read was the British Consul-General at Singapore whose telegram of 16 February 16 February 1873 to the Governor-General of Netherlands India, reporting the Acehnese envoys’ proceedings at Singapore and their approaches to the American and Italian consuls for help against the Dutch, set in motion the train of events that led to the first Aceh expedition of April 1873. His report was based on information supplied by the Malay Ariffin, “a rather unreliable person,” whose reports were probably exaggerated.
The Telegram of 16 February 1873
After the departure of the Acehnese envoys from Riouw for Singapore on 25 January 25 January 1873 to return to Atjeh after visiting a few other ports, the Governor-General received from the Consul-General at Singapore, W. H. Read, reports of their proceedings there, which he at once, on 16 February 16 February 1873, transmitted to the Minister of Colonies in the following telegram:
“Consul-General Singapore reports treason of Atjeh. Embassy has there asked help of consuls America and Italy against us. Both have concerned themselves with the matter. Will try to provoke counter-order of governments to keep back. Consul America proposes Atjeh tractaat and writes to admiral in China. Racchia waits two ships and then marches to Atjeh.”
The Reliability of the Reports
Although it later appeared that the Malay Ariffin who had given these communications to the Consul-General was “a rather unreliable person” and his reports were probably exaggerated, and although the Italian and American governments forbade their consuls further intervention, the Dutch government saw in these negotiations, “as they had also already been conducted with England, France and Turkey, the proof of the treacherous intentions of the Acehnese chiefs, who, presenting themselves as friends, asked other states for help in a war against us.” The Dutch government concluded that now, since the way of peaceful negotiation promised no results in view of the unreliability and hostile disposition of the Atjehers, vigorous action was necessary, and that, since the attention of foreign governments was now fixed on the matter, Dutch honour too demanded a more decided action.
Significance
Read’s telegram was the proximate cause of the Dutch decision to send an expedition against Atjeh. As the source work observes, the telegram set in motion the train of events that led to the first Aceh expedition of April 1873, the death of General Köhler on 14 April 14 April 1873, the second expedition of November 1873 – January 1874, and the Atjeh-oorlog that was to last for more than three decades. Read himself, however, was a British official reporting in good faith what he had learned; the responsibility for the decision to go to war rested with the Dutch government.
See Also
- Ariffin
- Aceh Envoys’ Visit to Singapore (January 1873)
- First Aceh Expedition (1873)
- J. Loudon
- F. N. Nieuwenhuysen
- Singapore
- Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1871
- Aceh War
Source
De geschiedenis van Nederland in onzen tijd, by J. A. de Bruyne, Directeur der Hoogere Burgerschool te Zierikzee. Deel IV. 1872-1883. Nieuwe uitgave. Schiedam: J. F. Dupont, 1912, Hoofdstuk I, pp. 9-11.
W. H. Read was the British Consul-General at Singapore whose telegram of 16 February 16 February 1873 to the Governor-General of Netherlands India, reporting the Acehnese envoys’ proceedings at Singapore and their approaches to the American and Italian consuls for help against the Dutch, set in motion the train of events that led to the first Aceh expedition of April 1873. His report was based on information supplied by the Malay Ariffin, “a rather unreliable person,” whose reports were probably exaggerated.
The Telegram of 16 February 1873
After the departure of the Acehnese envoys from Riouw for Singapore on 25 January 25 January 1873 to return to Atjeh after visiting a few other ports, the Governor-General received from the Consul-General at Singapore, W. H. Read, reports of their proceedings there, which he at once, on 16 February 16 February 1873, transmitted to the Minister of Colonies in the following telegram:
“Consul-General Singapore reports treason of Atjeh. Embassy has there asked help of consuls America and Italy against us. Both have concerned themselves with the matter. Will try to provoke counter-order of governments to keep back. Consul America proposes Atjeh tractaat and writes to admiral in China. Racchia waits two ships and then marches to Atjeh.”
The Reliability of the Reports
Although it later appeared that the Malay Ariffin who had given these communications to the Consul-General was “a rather unreliable person” and his reports were probably exaggerated, and although the Italian and American governments forbade their consuls further intervention, the Dutch government saw in these negotiations, “as they had also already been conducted with England, France and Turkey, the proof of the treacherous intentions of the Acehnese chiefs, who, presenting themselves as friends, asked other states for help in a war against us.” The Dutch government concluded that now, since the way of peaceful negotiation promised no results in view of the unreliability and hostile disposition of the Atjehers, vigorous action was necessary, and that, since the attention of foreign governments was now fixed on the matter, Dutch honour too demanded a more decided action.
Significance
Read’s telegram was the proximate cause of the Dutch decision to send an expedition against Atjeh. As the source work observes, the telegram set in motion the train of events that led to the first Aceh expedition of April 1873, the death of General Köhler on 14 April 14 April 1873, the second expedition of November 1873 – January 1874, and the Atjeh-oorlog that was to last for more than three decades. Read himself, however, was a British official reporting in good faith what he had learned; the responsibility for the decision to go to war rested with the Dutch government.
See Also
- Ariffin
- Aceh Envoys’ Visit to Singapore (January 1873)
- First Aceh Expedition (1873)
- J. Loudon
- F. N. Nieuwenhuysen
- Singapore
- Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1871
- Aceh War
Source
De geschiedenis van Nederland in onzen tijd, by J. A. de Bruyne, Directeur der Hoogere Burgerschool te Zierikzee. Deel IV. 1872-1883. Nieuwe uitgave. Schiedam: J. F. Dupont, 1912, Hoofdstuk I, pp. 9-11.