Thursday, October 25, 2012

Indonesia Sedar, 1939, dir Mr. Soenarjo [Sunarjo / Sunario Sastrowardoyo]

Mr. Soenarjo (dir)
[i.e. Sunario Sastrowardoyo / Sunaryo / Soenario / Sunarjo

Indonesia Sedar
Madjallah politiek dan hukum negara, dipersembahkan kepada tanah air Indonesia.
Tahoen ke-1 (1939), nn° 1, 3, 4, 5.

Makassar, Druk. Volksbelang, 1939 (20 April - 20 August, lacking May).



Set of 4 numbers (of at least 5). 27,5 (or 28,5) x 17,5 (or 18,5) cm, 4°, continuous pagination (pp. 1-12, 25-38, 39-52, 53-64), each volume (formerly) stapled under light green printed wrappers wearing on front board a nice vignette figuring a pillar (tugu). 

Very scarce collection of this very high-level nationalist monthly.

It was mostly written by Sunario (as his name is now officially spelled), a lawyer (Mr. stands here for "Master of laws") who took part in various movements fighting for the independance of Indonesia (he created the Perserikatan Nasional Indonesia, later called Partai Nasional Indonesia, along with Soekarno and others, directed at the same level as the latter the journal of the PNI, "Persatoean Indonesia", took part in the Soempah Pemoeda, has been a member of Perhimpoenan Indonesia, etc...) and was later to be a proeminent political figure of Soekarno's regime, being, between other things, a minister of Foreign Affairs and later the Indonesian ambassador in London. He was in Makassar in 1939 after being released from exile in Boven Digul.

Starting with number 3 (or maybe 2?), the monthly has for permanent collaborators : Soekarno (then in exile in Bengkulu), Mohammad Thamrin, Achmad Soebardjo, Ali Sastroamidjojo and G. R. Pantouw, to whom is added Soekardjo Wirjopranato after number 4.



The journal gives international in-depth analysis (for instance on the Versailles treaty) and news about the growing independance movement (for instance a very critical presentation of newly created Muhammad Yamin Partai Persatoean Indonesia - PARTINDO) as well as news from the nationalist fraction in the Volksraad (for instance extensive extracts from M. H. Thamrin political declaration on 11 July 1939) and excerpts from the newly published book by Soenarjo himself about Sedjarah Pergerakan Indonesia (history of Indonesian independance movement).

This publication is very rare. We didn't find any copy in known Indonesian collections worldwide except for the two first issues, which are in the National library of Indonesia collection. It has not been microformed and doesn't seem to be well known by scholars.

Staples missing, covers partly sunned, two small wormholes to first issue. Good.

200 €

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