Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-09-04
The Girl Queen OF 1898.
philadelphia Press, 3Oth.)

|
When December in the form Of old
| hing William III, Of Holland, welded
| May, in the person of Emma, Princess
| OF Waldeck, IT did not Seem probable
| that so charming an issue as VIII
| helmina, soon TO be Queen Of the Meth
| erlands, would bless so incOngruous a
| union. Allowing for the exaggeration
| that clouds throne, the young queen.
| who comes of age tomorrow. and is to
take the oath of office next week, seems
| to have inherited all her mothers vir-
| tues, and all the simplicity of character
that is inherent in the Dutch blood. and
none of her fathers eccentricities, to
call his failings by no severer name.
AT the age Of is the young Queen takes
upon her responsibilities family shadow
ing those that Queen Victoria accepted
In 1887, and, as the girl Queen of 1898.
Wilhelmina, should she live as long as
queen Victoria, may easily become one
of the phenomenal rulers of Europe. II.
in the peaceful seclusion of her Holland
estates, she holds her throne while great
dynastic, political, and social changes 90
on around her.
There is the chance that the youthful
and sturdy Stakeholder may hold her
own amidst changes that impend for
Europe of the twentieth century. HOl-
land is an eddy in the general current
of European politics. In a population OF
1883 45l, in a country of 1858 square
miles-about as big as Massachusetts
and Connecticut-there are few aliens
and very little emigration or immigra-
ton. The result is a homogenety Of race
and tongue, and, by reason of its situa-
ton, unity Of commercial interests that
are somewhat unusual. This in itself is
suspicious and gives the condition for
a nnfs al
certainly a people who stood her scape-
grace father for forty-one years can
rally about virtuous and comey young
woman, whose mothers sole endeavor
has been TO develop in her an illumi-
mating common sense. That the people |
will rally is certain. and the fact that
the fetes in connection with her ac-
cession to the throne all accentuate the |
masses and not the classes is signf- |
cant Of the close touch between Queen |
and people.
The only cloud in the outlook is the
danger of an alliance that would bring
Holland into the nav Of some other
European State, Germany in the first
instance. If Queen Wilhelmina follows
her father and is considerable of her peo-
Pies feelings she will not invite ag-
from Berlin, either in her
time or by reason Of squabbles over the
heritage Of her heirs. She has how
ever, many years in which TO make
choice, and, although the field is narrow,
she may succeed in finding the accept
able Prince Charming, who, in religion
and affiliations, will be al! that is re-
Iuired Of a Dutch prince-consort. With
itch estates of her own, her court with
is modest civil list will not be a bur
len on the people, and. other things
'eing equal, life in Holland under VIII
lelmina, social, political, and commercial |
should flow on in the even tenor Of the
'urgher way. The Holland Radical is
Tot aggressive and the Conservative not
90 reactionary. Under a girl Queen diff
erences should compose themselves. and
he Dutch estates be in marked contrast
o toiling, turbulent Belgium or 10 the
tress of things i'm imperial Germany.