The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-04-29
ADMIRAL HUNTER, THE HERO OF THE ERA
 OF DUTCH GLORY

In the seventeenth century the proud title of Mistress of the Seas was held, not iby England, but little Holland Dutch commerce was the most important in the world. The banner of Holland was planted at the gateway of the New World, and the thrifty Dutch adVepturers founded there the town of New Amsterdam, destined to become the metropolis of a continent The hardy sailors of the Dutch republic secured the sev- en seas and always and everywhere left the seeds of civilization in their trail The Dutch pioneers planted colonies in South Africa, founding Cape Town and gradually winning mastery over the hinterland; they established themselves in Australia, which they named New Holland; they founded settlements on the northern coast of South America, where Sur nam or Dutch Guiana still exists as a monument to their daring; they followed the Portuguese to India; they founded Batavia in Java, formed settlements in Surnatras and estab- lished Dutch supremacy in many oth-. CT parts of the earth
 The Stars and Stripes now float. over New Amsterdam, and the Un-l ion Jack fIaunts it's folds over the wide expanses of Australia and South Africa, and Holland has long since ceased to be mistress of the seas. The Dutch still hold extensive colonies in the Asiatic archipelago, as well as Dutch Guiana and certain islands of the West Indies, and Java, Sdmratra. Dutch Borneo and other dependencies contdiue to turn vast profits into the pocgets of the thrifty Dutch, who are thus not without consolation for their. faded glories of the past
 Of all the heroes of seventeenth century Holland. far from the least was Admiral Michael Ruyters who was killed by a cannon ball at Syr- acuee, while leading a naval expedi- ton against the French, 239 years ago today, April 29, 1676.s It was a tribute to the republican tendencies then prevailing among the Dutch that F.uyter beginning his career as a common sai1oTs should have been able 1 to rise to the rank of leader of the Dutch fleet, and by his gaIlantry and ability, make the half-ruined coun- ! try the greatest of European mari time powers.
 At that period Holland had a mer- chant fleet of 15,00O vessels, engag- ed in commerce with all parts of the 1 world. The growing power of Hol- l land aroused the jealousy of Louis I XIV, and he determined to crush the 4 little country and humble the re- publicans who had foi1ed his ambi- I ton to make France a supreme mari I tinne power. He turned upon HOl- | land a great army of 100000 men. l who passed the Rhine, and passed 1 aIm ost .unopposed through the coun- try until they neared the gates of Amsterdam. Tn this crisis the Dutch deposed Jan de Witt, the Grand 1 Pensioner, and made William of I Orange-vho afterward married Princess Mary of England and be- came King of England--their stadt- holder. They opened the locks and flooded the country, and forced the invaders to retreat before the floods. I At sea Ruyter triumphed over the enemy and saved his country. just as l Nelson later checked Napoleon. Tn 1878 Ruyter met the combined fleets of England and France in three ter rible battles, and by his valor won from P Estrees. the French comman- der the declaration that for such 1 glory as Ruyter's he would gladly give his life.
 Although Ruyter was not always 1 victorious, he was always glorious Il even in defeat He died as he hoped
 he would dies in battle, at the age o1
 sixty nine, a cannonball putting an
 end to his career. Although France
 at length triump11ed over Holland and ravaged her colonies. the attack
 on Holland was a misfortune foI
 France, for it turned against her the
 coalitions which France formerly di-
 rected against Austria, and founded I the good fortune of William od
 Orange, who afterwards mounted the
 throne of England