The Hattiesburg news., 1915-02-16
HOLLAND, ISOLATED,
DESERVES SYMPATHY
is RECEIVING WARS ILLS, BUT
WILL NOT GET NONE OF
ITS BENEFITS.

]
Holland as a result of the war zones
established in the North Sea by the
principal belligerents brings a worlds
sympathy for the brave little kingdom
and her people, who are receiving so
many of the ills of war with little
chance Of ever sharing it's benefits.
In this connection an extract of study
prepared by William Wisner Chapin
for the National Geographic Society
is of interest:
Here is a section of the globe which
was almost entirely overlooked by ma
ture in the original distribution of iron
and other metals, of coal, stone and
wood. In fact, to great extent even
the land itself was wrong side up at
the start The existence of Petrograd
and Venice is regarded with wonder
ment, although they are cities cover
ing small areas. What then, can be
said of Holland, where the land, made
and reclaimed from the sea, spreads
out in great fertile plains and mea-
dows thousands of square miles in
extent
"The wind has furnished the power
in the battle through which the land
was wrested from the sea; while even
the water, against which Dutch in
genuity so long and successfully plot
ted has repeatedly obeyed their sum-
mons and come to the rescue of be-
sieged cities. overwhelming their Ell
emies and preserving the nation.
"One-quarter of the whole nation
lies below the normal level of the sea
while 80 per cent of all the territory
of the country would be submerged
but for the dykes.
For a time Holland was one of the
three leading powers of Europe. War
fare has marked the existence of her
sturdy people from the first. For
when not fighting with swords they
were battling with picks and shovels.' '
Mr.. Chaplin tells how although the
country is largely treeless. one of the
finest forests in the world is to be
found at the Hague, and describes the
affection of her people for it, often
saving it, in time of stress by sacri-
fees and voluntary offerings. He re-
minds us that Amsterdam is built on
80 islands, connected by more than $50
bridges; that the Royal Exchange is
t built on $4,000 piles and the Royal
, Palace on nearly $4,000. He says that
10000 of Amsterdam's Jewish populn-
ton are engaged in diamond polishing
and that Holland deserves her reputa-
f ton of being the most liberal in char
, tiles, of all European countries. He
continues:
"On the front facade of many
houses, hanging between the windows
are mirrors, placed at such an anglo
+ that those inside, without being seen
> may view the street in any direction
including the front door and any one
I seeking entrance. The home life O
S many of the people is said to be SC
. quiet, that wishing to see all that is
going on about them they employ these
/ spies
n "The Dutch differ from the Chinese
in announcing to the world the birtl
g of children only in the article dis
Il played The Cinnamon hang a piece
'f of ginger over the main entrance tC
y the house while the Hollanders indi
e cate the event by piece of lace, com
u bining with the lace pink background
s for boy and a tinsel for a girl
VI "The orphans of some of the cities o
Holland are quite conspicuous, and es
4, pecially so when seen in the street
T. of Amsterdam. dressed in what Nigh
I be termed half-and-half clothing. Th
east half of boys coat, including tn
20 sleeve, is red, and the west half black
,v The dresses of the girls are toppe
NJ off in a similar manner"
II Mr.. Chaplin states that Holland, one
fourth as big as New York in ares
10 ranks third among the countries c
q the world in the number of it's COLI
- malls, and fifth in the area of its COLI
=, nies; that she rules six times as man
colonials as home people; and govern
>. an outside area fifteen times times a
:, large as her home domains; that
France were as densely populated 4
Holland she would have 96,O00,000 pc
pie instead of 100000. In spite
, this lack of elbow room her impor
- amount to s2364O per capita to O,
$1S.41. and her exports to $203.69
80 I orr S04 66