Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-21
HOLLAND AWAITS An HEIR
IatiOn Ready to Welcome It's Future
Ruler.
FUTURE OF COUNTRY AT STAKE
'houid Queen WIIheImIna Give Birth
to n Son the Rejoicing VIII Ne
UnbOunded-RoyaI Nursery
Has Been Prepared.

THE HAGUE, March 11-The advent OF
an heir apparent to the throne OF Holland
~ a prospect which causes the heart Of
every patriotic Dutchman to beat higher.
For Holland, of course, the question Of
the continuation or the extinction q. the
house Of Orange-Nassau Is of
Importance inasmuch Of the latter con-
tingency would mean either the blotting
out OF the kingdom as The Netherlands as
a separate entity or else a return to it's
seventeenth century status OF a common
wealth.
Since Germany inaugurated a more am
bilious naval policy some few years ago
these possibilities have formed the sub
Ject OF grave considerations in more than
one European chancellery. Twice already
the hopes of the young queen have been
disappointed, and her subsequent state of
health gave rise to all sorts Of rumors as
regards her ability to ever give an heir
to the nation.
Dutch Succession simple.
The Dutch succession is really a simple
enough question, seeing that, contrary to
the state of affairs in many other Euro
pean countries, there are no pretenders or
claimants to the throne. Fate indeed has
not dealt kindly with the house of Orange
during the last half century. King William
III, the present queens father, saw the
sons OF his first marriage die childless
after they reached manhood, and his
brother and uncle also died without leaving
male heirs. With what tense expectancy
the scion of Williams second marriage with
Princess Emma of Waldeck Pyrmont was
awaited those who were in Holland at the
- WVa
apart from the purely Teutonic origin
Of the r~eignlng house OF Holland. 1t has
on several occasions received further adj
mixture OF German blood since the con-
Rress Of Vienna In 1914 remodelled the
map of Europe and William ! assumed the
siyle Of king OF The Netherlands. For this
monarch married a Prussian royal princess,
ana his grandson, William III, went for
his two consorts. first to the court Of
wurtemberg and then to the principality
OF Waldeck Pyrmont. while the union of
Queen W~ilhelmina, the last direct repre-
sentative OF the orange-Nassaus, with Duke
Henry of Mecklenburg in 1901 is of too re-
cent date to need comment.
Collateral Heirs.
Failing an heir. male or female-for the
Gallo law does not operate In Holland-the
nearest candidate in line of succession
would nave been Prince William of Weld,
whose mother was the only daughter II
william HIS uncle, Frederick. But the
prince of Wied died in 1907. leaving an off
spring of very tender age. Since then the
chances of the grown-up sons or the late
Prince Henry VII of Reuss, whose con-
sort was a daughter of Princess Sophia,
William HIS only sister, have been con-
sidered. These are, of course, purely
German princes, holding commissions in
the German army and navy, and their
Willingness to press their somewhat remote
claim on the Dutch throne II occasion
arose has so far been understood to be
doubtful In the extreme.
Reasons OF state prescribe precautions
to be taken in view OF the possibility OF
the queen dying childless. A council OF
state would take the reigns of govern
ment, but It Is unlikely that Prince Henry
OF the Netherlands. the queens consort'
would have more than the courtesy title
OF president Of that assembly.
OF Queen Wilhelmina's persanal popular
ity among her subjects there cannot be
the slightest doubt. For the majority OF
the Dutch she has since her childhood
presented the hope of the nation and
even those whose eanings are toward
the observation-disclosures w Nht hAh'
inces sympathize with her over her dis
appointed hopes of motherhood.
All Holland and the Nursery.
And so all Holland is waiting eagerly
for the event which Is to affect it's des-
TIMES so powerfully. Everything is ready
for the arrival Of the expected little
stranger at the unpretentious royal palace
at The Hague.
The nursery occupies part OF the second
story of the palace, comprising six wide
and spacious apartments, besides separate
rooms for the attendants. The wing OF
the castle has been remodelled In its en-
tirety.
AThu-Halls and ceilings of all the rooms
have been scraped. and new woodwork, as
we'll as new floors. heating apparatus and
hot and cold water have been put in under
the queens own supervision. She devised
the plans from English and American
models. ordering that everything old
fashioned about the nursery be abolished,
and Insisting that she would have none Of
the old time nursery with its unsanitary
surroundings.
The only old fashioned things about the
nursery are the various cradles, heirlooms
in the Nassau royal family, some of them
nearly "a. large as a state coach. The
queen had them thoroughly overhauled and
only their elaborate shells remain.
1t Is the custom in Holland to use pink
ribbons and pink lining for the cradle cIr-
talns when a girl would be most welcome.
light blue when a boy is hoped for. SO
The Hague women inquired what color the
queen would prefer for the cradle. The dip