ABSTRACT
By giving support to Sukarno and other nationalist leaders immediately after W orld W ar II, Indonesian businessmen, however much they may have sympathized ideologically with the independence movement, saw an opportunity to improve their resource position. If an Indonesian regime could come to occupy the national authority roles, members of the business sector could expect political influence and a higher place in the country's political stratification. Though the support pledged by businessmen may have appeared to be a simple gift, more intricate exchange relationships were involved. The amount of support businessmen gave to the indepen dence movement varied according to their expectations that the Dutch could and would be ousted, and that they themselves would be given influ ence over economic policy under nationalist rule. They sought this influ ence in order to affect government decisions on licensing, imports of raw materials, currency exchange rates, subsidization of enterprises, and taxa tion. While the exact amount of economic resources to be gained through influence could not be determined, businessmen expected that it would be substantial.
