Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-08-25
HOLLAND HARD HIT,
BUT REMAINS CALM
Dutch Agriculture and Ship
ping ParaIyzed by War
of Neighbors.
BEST TO BE NEUTRAL,
IS PREVAILING IDEA
Army Ready to Defend Any Viola
ton and Country Will Be
Flooded, If Necessary.


don.-While the major part of Europe
is in a state of war. thought in the
Netherlands to be one of determination.
the good burghers 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 buletins;
Everybody feared that Holland would
be embroiled. but today the feeling is
that the land of dykes and windmills
will not be dragged into the bloody
struggle.
Holland, nevertheless, has been nara
hit commercially On the fields rot
thousands of tons of vegetables. "hicn
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 $4,000. ana IN
other cities conditions are similar. II
ia estimated that a total OF lso,ooo
wage-earners have been anected. Out
so far the situation is not desperate;
The Dutch naturally are a tnrlIts
race. But the question is how long
will their savings last. Holland unoer
normal conditions, does tre1nehoous
business with Germany, whose eAport
trade keeps much of the pute ,,, Iana'
Now there is none of this ana the
burghers are discovering what the
Gripping of their neighbor means.
In the meanwhile life in the Duecn
complain of a lack of trade. AT nish.
one sees them in the cafes slipping tnelr
beer and coffee, discussing the ia.es.
war news. studying a variety OF wa wa
maps. drawing from ,nelr s tine on the
of information ana specuidtins oi Wv
outcome of 1t all. ~. car.
The Duhch may not consloer the 90
mans the most agreeable of nelghpors,
still the general sentiment is that tney
would not care to see them wiped out.
AFTER all, they are of the same ptood
as ourselves" remarked one. citizen OF
Rotterdam, who does business WIZ
to Russia and France, and even Del
GUM. gaining territory at their e4-
penSe."
/ Best to Be Neutral.
Generally speaking, the burghers know
it is best to be neutral ana not TO eA-
press opinions has become to be looked
upon as a duty toward Germany. Inc
experiences of Hollanders in the matter
of foreign domination have not been
pleasant, and the Duke of Alba sun
lives in memory. Therefore the peopi th o.
Holland are waiting and hoping that
the tempest will blow over without
striking their own country.
In the meantime the standing FORCES
of the country have been moblHZed.
The militia and the landwehr are under
the call to arms. The breaking of the
dykes and the rushing to arms or
small, but heroic nation like the Dutch
would indeed be a fit climax, according
to sentiment in Rotterdam, to the
cataclysm of Europe. But the Dutcn
are ready for the sacrifice. and the
first overt act against the sovereignty
of their country or the security of their
nation is bound to be met in this man
ner There is ground for the belief that
another siege of Leyden would be more
stubborn affair than the resistance OF
biege.
The feeling however, is more sangulne
today because the attitude Of Germany
would appear to be such that attack
from that quarter is thought TO De re-
mote.
So the burghers go about their bust
ness and let others understand that
the minding of their own business is
a matter of small nations these days.
Holland Remains Neutral.
LONDON, August 25.-"England may
rest assured that, come what may,
Holland will not jeopardize her neu-
trality by improperly supplying goods
to Germany" declared NJ. Treub, the
Dutch minister of industry and COM
merce, in an interview published by the
Daily Telegraph.
1--WE are gathering wheat only for our
own needs. The export from Holland
of wheat is now absolutely forbidden,
and there is consequently no possibility
of any country being supplied from this
source.
with a view to maintaining our own
supply of wheat, we hope to. get car-
goes from America. but it will be nee
essary for each ship to carry papers
proving conclusively that the cargo is
destined for Holland, neutral conn--
to another country"