The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-05
WAR HITS HOLLAND HARD.
DESPITE HER NEUTRALITY
Finance Minister Explains
How Small State Is Wealth
ering Financial Storm.
ny DR.. BELA sEKELY.

walton that the people Of Holland do
not seem to worry much about the war
Is correct. I wish they would worry
more,'' said W. r. Trcub. the Dutch
Minister for Finance.
THE war scare which shook our
country at the tim of the violation Of
Belgium's neutrality IL over" Mr.. TrecA
went on. "and the feeling prevails that
we are altogether hors de danger. In
fact there Is no special reason at the
present time why We should fear any
thing either from England or Germany.
but who can tell what the situation will
be three or four months hence? That
is In the lap OF the gods. n by that
time a good many OF us. self-lulled into
a sense Of false security. may have to
change our views a bit. The surest
guarantee OF our security I see in our
army. which is the strongest as we'll as
the best trained and best equipped that
has ever manned the Dutch frontier.
T be frank. there is some restless
ness apparent In the country on account
"a WV - hht "Ahhy ahaa
teen months rave passed since the war
broke out and nothing has happened to
us. Now wives want their husbands
back n mothers cry for their sons who
have been kept with the colors for more
Than a year. l need not tell you hat
the men and women of Holland are inn
bued with the same love OF country and
the same spirit OF self-sacrihce which
this great war has revealed in all of
the warning countries. Still. believing
our country absolutely out OF danger.
some people think that It is quite use
less and unnecessary to keep the army
modified.
I'm order to relieve the situation the
Government adopted a measure which,
while permitting the sending home OF
a great number OF men on leave OF alb
sence, will still strengthen the deten-
sive forces OF the Netherlands. This
measure provides for the training OF
all able bodied men between the ages
OF 10 and 80 who have hitherto escaped
military service under the limited COM
pulsory system which obtains In Hol-
land. Beginning with the younger
classes, they will be called up gradu-
ally and after four months training at
the depots will pass into the active army
TO relieve an approximately equal num-
Der OF the older landwehr. There latter
/ forces, number from 10000 to 3d.
900 men, will thus be gradually sent
home on indefinite leave. TO be called up
again only II 1t be necessary for the de-
fence of the country.
Army Costs 100000 q Day.
1T costs Us 5000 600 daily to main
tain our army on its present footing.
This ia axnlnSiya ~ aNnanAis,rag Co.. tbn
preparation OF fresh supplies and new
equipment. But the increase of expen-
ditures IL not limited to the army. The
Government has taken a number of Sc
called crisis measures in order TO
safeguard the economic life OF the coun-
try and also TO relieve poverty and un-
employment. The total Of our extraor-
binary expenditures caused by the Eu-
ropean crisis Is 5000. 900 monthly for
the first year OF war about 500. 900. 900.
That is a great deal for a small coun-
try like ours.
Then there are always unexpected
expenditures. One OF the most amazing
situations we had to face was in Oc-
tober and November OF last year. when
hordes OF Belgian refugees flooded our
country. They numbered perhaps from
700 600 10 1000 900. The Dutch Gov
of course rose 10 the occasion
and extended a hospitable welcome to
all OF the refugees. We s,,ll take
care OF about 10000 Belgian soldiers
and 10000 civilians. who are kept in
camps. The cost OF keeping the soldiers
may he repaid TO us some day. But no
compensation whatsoever Will be ac-
cepted on the part of the Netherlands
for expenditures made on account OF
civilian refugees. We did only what
We considered Our sacred duty. our