Evening star., 1901-12-21
Agitation Regarding Detention Camps
Causes Change for Better.
DUTCH COU RI SCANDAL AGAIN
Revival of Stories About King
William III of Orange.
LONDON NEWS AND GOSSIP
special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

sible for the change in policy In this d.
rection that is now about to be made, but
l am informed that the government have
made arrangements for changing the char
acter Of the concentration camps as quick
ly as possible. The idea seems to be to
start the work of resetting the refugees on
the farms to a limited extent. Instead Of
confining them to the camps the people will
be settled in more extended areas, and will
be subjected to fewer restrictions. This
will prevent the overcrowding that has been
necessary in few Of the camps and stop
the spread of contagious diseases. The
refugees will be placed under civil and
not military authorities, and it Is hoped
that this arrangement will not only be con-
ducive to the comfort of the Boer women,
children and men who voluntarily surren-
dered before September, but will be the
commencement of civil administration.
The concentration of the refugees was
rendered imperative by the necessity Of
clearing the country, and the men and
at will while the enemy was in the neigh
borhood. Now that the Beers in the field
have been driven out of certain districts 1t
is not difficult to settle the refugees In
various places, and give them greater lib
erty. Inconvenient and unfortunate though
the arrangement was it was the only course
open, and this liberals like Sir Edward
Grey and Mr.. Asquith frankly admit. 1t
the refugees. were huddled in overcrowded
camps. A glance at some Of the photos which
appear in this weeks Sphere shows the
Beers in the camp to have ample space for
recreation, that they are exceedingly happy
and comfortable, and In no way badly pro-
vided for. In fact they are much better off
as a rule than British soldiers in the field
are.
Dutch Court Scandal.
wrote last week that the Dutch court
nj ocnta
the details that have been given to the
world have been officially denied most Of
the Dutch people believe them, and, fear,
the world at large also.
Discords in the Dutch royal family have
unhappily been the order Of the day ever
since King William II, then Prince of
Orange, having been Tilted by the English
Princess Charlotte, because, among other
reasons, he came home drunk from the
races on the boX-seat of a coach, married
the Russian Grand Duchess Anne Paul
owna.
In Holland this introduction of Russian
blood into the house Of Orange Is held re-
sponsible for the violent passions which
have since then been the usual characteris-
tic Of Dutch kings and princes. 1t. is, at
any rate, true that there has been very
little harmony in the Dutch reigning house
since the children of that marriage grew
I'D.
The violent temper of King William III
was nOtOf1OuS throughout Europe, though
not many Of the stories Of It's manifesto
ton, we'll known to the Dutch have been
told outside Holland.
Many of the stories are merely amusing
the story, for example, that he smashed up
piano with a coal hammer because it was
not punctually delivered, and the story
that he discovered a Jonkheer smoking in
the stables, where smoking was not al
lowed, and knocked him about so violently
that he spent several weeks in bed
More tragic are the stories Of his quarrels
with his father, his first wife and his sons
His particular cause of quarrel with his
father was the favor shown to an alleged
natural son, who was made intendant of
the palace at Amsterdam.
1t has always been darkly whispered in
Holland that William lis sudden and mys-
tertous death was due to an assault COM,
mitted upon him by his son in the course of
a quarrel on this subject.
Quarrels With Queen Sophie.
King William Ills quarrels with his first
wife. Queen Sophie, are more notorious
There was kings party and a queens
party In the country, just as in England
when George " and Queen ar9line were
at variance. The queen was a brilliantly
clever woman, who cultivated intellectual
society; his tastes We're those Of the sports
man and viveur. The story goes that she
called him an idiot at one of her receptions.
and subsequently refused to admit him to
her apartments, and that he made a scan
daious scene by banging at the door. How
ever that may be, relations between them
became SO strained that they lived in sep
arate palaces-he at Het Loo and she at the
Huis ten Bosch.
To make matters worse the king openly
declared that he did not believe himself to
be the father OF the queens youngest son,
Prince Alexander, who died at compar ra-
lively early age Of consumption. These do
nestle chickering's SO disgusted the Prince
OF orange that he refused to marry, and
Went to live In Paris. His life there was
d1ssipated and disorderly, and his sudden
death Is one Of the secrets of the courts of
Europe. Officially it was attributed to
pneumonia. Unoff1cially 1t was said that he
was Killed in duel. or murdered by an
irate husband with grievance It was
because Of his sons conduct that King
William III married second time to give
his house an heir, and his second marriage
Is generally believed to have been a happy
one.
Interest in Cancer Cure,
British doctors are greatly interested in
the reports from America OF cancer cure by
X-rays. and the papers are filled with let
ters on the subject. It seems that last year
there were In England over 10000 deaths
from cancer, and the majority of the VIC
TINS were women. The highest death rate
or all was in London and the manufactur-
ing towns the least death rate occurring
In the agricultural districts. For instance
In the Hundred of West Derby there were
342 deaths, and in Manchester and Salford
3O6. but In Chichester the deaths were only
II. Rugby 10: Exeter. SO, and Aylesbury,
81. 1t Is not obvious why women suffer
from cancer more than men. unless it be the
fact that they are less In the open air; but
then very little seems to be obvious about
cancer. During the last few years the
causes OF it have been attributed to toma-
toes and mushrooms, and now salt is men
toned as the cause. Why not the spots on
the sun OF the great craters in the moon?
The official returns Of death would lead to
the CONCLUSION that the purer the air the
less the cancer, and that the more impure
the air the more the cancer.
Christmas Manifestations.
For some weeks past the tradesmen all
over London have been exhibiting their
Christmas stock. but we do not seriously
begin to think Of the festive season until
the Smithfield cattle show Is held. Then
we know that the good cheer with which
John BuA delights to associate Chrfstmos
has taken tangible form, and that 1t be-
hooves us TO prepare for the due observ-
ance Of the holiday feast. The Smithfleld
show was opened at Islington on Monday
under tolerabay seasonable conditions.
sousa's Jokes Unappreciated.
Sousa has had most successful season