New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-17


is being waged in comparison with which the
Russo-Japanese conflict is a mere infant For
thirty years the Dutch have been battling with
the fanatical Achinese. and they have come no
.earer to conQuering them now than in 1913.
The Achin wars have cost Holland over twelve
thousand lives and nearly S100000Oo0 1t would
almost seem that the struggle beats the
Dutch" Yet the Dutch fight on.
When Europe learned the other day that the
English under the command of Colonel Young
husband had killed four hundred Tfbetans. dip
omats at London and St Petersburg made long
faces. Stories came from the Russian capital
,nat the Muscovites were alarmed at England's
ambition to conquer the sacred land Of the
.mas and a few British statesmen were
quoted as prophesying that disaster would fol-
ow such bloodshed. Yet from Sumatra only
two days later came the news that the Dutch
had just killed 541 Achinese. anu the dispatch
created little more comment in European capt.
tails than the advertisement of a new breakfast
food
The Dutch-Achinese war would seem to dis
Irole the efficacy of "bottling up the enemy" For
years the Hollanders have confined the Achinese
to the very northern tip of Sumatra, consti-
,uting about one-eighth of the island. and by
means of railroad built across their frontier
from to sea- and gunboats patrollng the
coast, they keep watch and ward over these
.O,OO square miles and 100000 natives with un-
ceasng vigilance Along the line OF the railroad
Dutch soldiers stationed in lookouts, which
often consist of bee trees" with platforms and
ladders. AS soon as the foe is sighted the news
is teegraphed along the entire Gordon of guards
and an army is thrown into the field within an
hours notice.
To protect troops from the bullets of the
enemy the Of the railroad sheathcd
with thick steel armor, pierced with rife loop
holes. One of these trains is constantly the
move. and rolls back and forth from coast to
coast like a policeman on his beat By means
of wireless telegraph the scouts on the train
keep in communication with the lookouts. Be
fore the Dutch built the railroad however,
they were frequently surprised by forays when
band of natives would break through their
lines and run amuck among the peaceful
natives of Southern Sumatra 1t was in inter
cepting such incursion that the Dutch killed
more than five hundred natives the other day.
In fighting the willy Achinese the Dutch have
adopted many tactics, even as stealthy as those
Of their foe. At the bottom of each lookout's
ladder, for example, of wire are
stretched from one post to another. that
band of natives creeping UP under of
night will entangle their legs and fall as help
less victims many flies in spiders web.
on their ground. however the natives
of Northern Sumatra have again and again
proved themselves superior to the more phleg-
matte Dutch. They have practically under
mined their country, for the purpose OF trap
ping an invading foe. Pitfalls are dug in the
very roads, and then covered so as TO es-
cape the closest scrutiny. When no enemy is
expected the roofs securely fastened so
that native teams may safely drive over them;
but at the approach OF enemy few pegs
ere pulled out AS soon as the invaders set foot
on the trap. they disappear as if swallowed up
by the earth.
AInhushes also parallel the highways, and