The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-20
HOLLAND IN FEAR OF
A GERMAN VICTORY
But Defeat Involving EXaltatiOn
Of Belgium Would Not
BE Welcome.

I,oNpoS. Sept a-The Times prints the
respondent:
Holland has a great fear OF Germany
and great JEALOUSY OF Belgium. The
action and reaction OF these two forces
influence her to take up position which
II is difficult to understand without a
knowledge OF them.
ut Is evident that the German pub
licity department despairing OF securing
any credence In the world for mendaolties
sent by wireless from Berlin. Is using
Holland as base Of it's operations. This
fact. involving AS 1t does the spending
Of much Germany money and much Ger
man ingenuity. could account for few
OF the Daser sort OF iollandeTs becoming
'pro-German' and abandoning cause
which has become the cause OF all the
little nationalities of Europe. But 1t
could not account for "a general public
opinion in Holland which can hest be de-
scribed by the adjective sour toward Bel
glum and the Triple Entente.
''rhe Hollanders are in the bulk men
OF integrity and OF frmness OF character.
Few of them could be Influenced by direct
bviDes to become the creatures of the
German despotism. 1t is necessary to
search for reasons Of a more honorable
though not OF wiser character for an
attitude which is unmistakable They can
be found in "A sense of wounded amour
propre. In n feeling that at the proper
time Holland failed In courage, and that
now she IL in a position wherein, dread
ing German victory. she would yet be
Ill content with German defeat in
volving the exatation Of Belgium.
Two days spent in Holland in various
cities | sought to investigate as closely
as possible Dutch public opinion. from
ne Uri toll B,
journalists, bankers, merchants profess
slonal men. and the man In the train
| found an astonishing unanimty. There
were no cross currents Dutch opinion
flowed broad and straight In one drec-
ton. Every Hollander assured me that
all his sympathits were with Belgium, and
that he hated the Germans After this
he went on to discuss the Incidents of the
war In wholly German!c spirit
"lie scorned the Belgian army He re-
counted with satisfaction the Berlin re-
ports OF great defeats OF the French He
prophesied with shake OF the head
/ which did not conceal smile of satls-
faction, that this war would be like the
last: we shall hear from Paris about
great French victories. ana within a fort
| night the Germans will enter Paris
at this time OF imperial unity | may
not recall past differences nj home by
citing from them any analogy with the
| present Dutch attitude. But readers will.
I think, understand II from what | have
said, II H. the attitude OF the friend who
says: Yes I know Smith IL n very good
sort, and ! wish him all luck but it Is n
pity that he drinks and heats his wife,
and Is on the way to the bankruptcy
| court
"rhe current OF public opinion. as I
| have said, lowed strongly all the one
| way, what was ineXpllcable 10 mo for
a long time was the influence giving IL
| that direction. This only became clear
from n conversation with a IIolander Of
| DISTINGUISHED position. lie said quote
! almost his eNnct words and certainly
| their exact senses
1--WE feel here in Holland in n very
painful position The war Ia causing us
great losses We have had to mobilize.
| And so far as one can see there Is no
good TO come out of IL for us In any
case. After the war IL Germany should
chance to he defea led Belgium viii bound
| forward and we shall be left In the rear.
II Germany wins our position Is full OF
danger. l should much prefer that we
had taken our side one way or the other,
and then We would have chance OF
something. Now we have none. We have
all the Inconvenience and losses. We
are pu. IN somewhat hum!l!at!ng posi-
ton. Any day We may be dragged in
without our wish and without the credit
of a courageous resolve on our own part.
But yet the time has passed whom We can
intervene OF our own ACCORD