Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-08-24
HOLLANDERSLN LIVE /.
NORMALLY AGAIN
Burghers of Dixie and Windmill
Country Go About Their
Own Business.

ROTTERDAM Aug. n (via Lon
don).-While the major part VI
Europe Is in state of war, thought
in the Netherlands to be one of ex-
termination. the good hurghers of
Holland manage to live their normal
lives in spite of the excitement that
was apparent when the strife began.
At that time large crowds gathered
in front of the newspaper offices
watching the posting of bulletins.
/ Everybody feared that Holland would
be embroiled, but today the feeling
Is that the land Of dykes and wind
mills viii not be dragged into the
bloody struggle.
Holland, nevertheless, has been hit
hard commercially. On the fields rot
thousands of tons of vegetables which
formerly were consumed in England
and Germany The dairy market also
suffers and in the ports thousand
bottoms lie idle. The unemployed in
Rotterdam alone number so. 600 and in
other cities conditions are similar. It
is estimated that total of 1870 900
wage earners have been affected. but
SO far the situation is not desperate.
The Dutch naturally are a thrifty
race.
How Long win Savings Last9
But the question is, how long will
their savings lastf Holland under
normal conditions does a tremendous
business with Germany. whose export
trade keeps much of the Dutch canal.
river and oversee shipping employed.
Now there is none of this and the
burghers are discovering what the
Gripping of their neighbor means.
In the meanwhile life in the Dutch
cities Is almost normal. Business men
complain of a lack of trade. At
night one sees them in the cafes sip
ping their beer or coffee, discussing
the latest war news, studying a va
riety of war maps, drawing from
their slender fund of information and
| specializing on the outcome of 1t all.
The Dutch may not consider the Ger
mans the most agreeable OF neigh
bors, still the general sentiment is
| that they would not care to see them
| wiped out. After all. they are of the
same blood as ourselves" remarked
one citizen of Rotterdam, who does
business with them, "and we have a
general aversion of Russia and
| rance, anu even DelSluIly
| territory at their expense"
Memory of Alba Still Alive.
Generally speaking. the burghers
know it is best to be neutral, and not
/ to express opinions, has come to be
| looked upon as duty Toward Ger
many. The experiences Of Hollanders
in the matter of foreign domination
have not been pleasant and tbs Duke
of Alba, of sixteenth century fame,
| still lives in memory. Therefore, the
people of Holland are waiting and
hoping that the tempest will blow
over without striking their own, coun-
try.
In the meantime the standing
forces of the country have been mo-
bilized The militia and the Land
wehr are under the call to arms. The
ing to arms of small but heroic
nation like the Dutch would indeed
be a fit climax, according to senti-
| ment In Rotterdam, to the cataclysni
| of Europe. But the Dutch are ready
| for the sacrifice and the Test overt
act against the sovereignts of their
country or the security of their ma
ton is bound to be met in This man.
| ner There is ground for the bel1ef
! that another siege of Leyden would
| be a more stubborn affair than the
resistance of Liege.
The feeling, however, is more SAN
guine today because the attitude OF
| Germany would appear to be such
| that attack from that quarter Is
thought to be remote.
So the burghers go about their bus
mess and let others understand that
the minding of ones business Is in
deed the business of small nations
these days.