Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-11-03
rwEnrv YEARS OF WAR.
a Long struggle stin IN Progress Between
Holland and Acheen.

n Long struggle stin IN Progress Between
Holland and Acheen.
For twenty years the war between
Holland Acheen has dragged along,
and no one knows when it will ever
end. The last Dutch colonial re-
port tells of the present con-
dition OF this troubled country
in Northern Sumatra. Fighting
is still going on in a desult0ry
way, though the aggressiyeness
of the Acheens has lost much OF
It's old force, largely because the
natives are finding il difficult to pro-
cure the means OF subsistence. Their
operations are now confined chiefly to
the destruction OF telegraph wires
and means of communication. The
Dutch troops are better able than
formerly to prevent sudden assaults
and surprises, because they have sue
ceeded, after fighting hard for 1t, in
clearing the space in front of their
lines. The attacks on baggage trains
are also less numerous than formerly.
The Dutch, however, find it prudent
not to make incursions into the
enemy's country The Acheens try
to do little work in the line of
piracy now and then, but the block
ade which the Dutch still maintain
along the coast is effective in prevent
ing damage to shipping. According
TO the New York Sun. this long war
in Acheen is perhaps the most re-
markable struggle ever waged by a
European government in its colonial
possessions. The Dutch are among
the best colonizers in the world.
They set an example to other nations
They have proved that they can take
savage islands, reduce them to order,
half civiliZe the natives, and make
money out of the enterprise. Hol-
lands possessions in the East Indies
comprise territorial area that is at
least fifty times as large as that OF
Holland herself, and in all the islands
where her enterprises have been car
ried on she has met with determined
and unconQuerable opposition only in
the northern part of Sumatra where
the Acheens never know when they
are beaten.
Acheen is now in its decadence.
The empire was founded in the thir-
teenth century. 1t covered half the
big island and its sultans claimed de-
scent from Alexander the Great.
Now its people are cooped up in the
extreme northern part of the island,
although they are still believed to
number 800 900 souls. 1t is probable
that the independent life of the COM
munes, into which the doughty little
country is divided, explains the
marvellous energy with which the
natives defend their independence
against foreigners. Each commune
thoroughly believes in States rights.
In all matters of local interest the
villagers govern themselves. The
men OF a certain advanced age are the
lawmaking body. Each commune has
two hereditary chiefs who rule to-
gether, and they, with the chiefs Of
the other communcs, form the coun-
Gil of the nation. In all matters of
national Importance representatives
of the communes help the Sultan to
govern, but in all local affairs each
little subdivision governs itself.
Holland has spent an immense
treasure and some thousands OF lives
have been sacrificed in this long war
upon the Acheens. She has succeeded
only in driving most of the Acheens
into the interior, and now the Dutch
are in sole control OF a large part Of
the coast But the people in the in
terror are practically as independent
as they ever were, and show no signs
that they will ever relinquish their
right to govern themselves. Great
Britain can look on with the COM.
forting thought that she made a very
good bargain when she traded with
Holland and for the prize of the
Dutch possessions along the Gulf of
Guinea relinquished her claims to
Sumatra. and left to Holland all the
trouble and expense which twenty
years of perpetual and ineffective
skirmishing have given her.