New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-23
Holland and the War.

With the official inquiry into the SINKING
of the Tubantia and the Palembang still
going on. the majority of Hollanders, pro-
Allv since the beginning Of the war, seem
to have already fixed the blame upon
German submarine But it is never diff
cult 10 persuade Hollander Of British
perfdy. That article Of his political talth
ne draws from his history books at school.
Spain he has forgotten; the feeling IN
herited from that phase of his nation S
story is religious, not racial. And the
French he loves, returning good for all
the evil done him by Louis XIV and
NAPOLEON and planned by Louis Philippe
and Napoleon III.
The German he has feared and suspect
ed since the founding Of the empire. Eng
land. he suspects, is only looking FOR a
preteyt 70 take away his East Indian colo
MES. And the Orders in Council hit his
trade hard. 1t must be bewilderng ex-
nerience TO he a Hollander during this
war.
There is something doing in Holland
every moment. No sooner had II been
proved that the rabidly pro-Ally news
naper "Dc Telegraaf" was in reality in
the pay of the German reptile press ou-
reau than some documents addressed to
the openly pro-German "Toekomst went
as+rav Il sounds like the DR.. Albert case.
So compromising were these papers that
their accidental recipient refrained from
publishing them and turned them over to
the government. In this respect an Amer
lean would feel at home in Holland Just
now. for the discredited Telegram has
insinuatingly asked the Gazette dc Hol-
lande" how it manages TO exist.
Furthermore. the Netherlands, like some
other great colonial powers, are keeping
an increasingly anxious eye on Japan
where violent and unrestricted press
campaign has begun for the annexation OF
the East Indies. This campaign had been
carried on for some years, but never with
the unmistakable frankness Of purpose OF
the present moment. The japanese now
never speak Of Netherlands India any
more. but of the South Sea Islands, which
is confusing, perhaps purposely so after
the conquest of the German possessions in
the Pacific. The demand for annexation
is direct and menacing.
Sunda Strait, between Java and Su-
matra, is the key to Asiatic waters. Japan
holding it. can forbid all other fleets TO
enter the Pacific. And, then, is it not her
duty to civilize Malays and Javanese, and
70 liberate them from their wretched con
dition of servitude? I'VE Japanese must
not forget that Malay blood courses IN
our veins"
Rumors Of planned invasions continue
by the British for flank attack on Ger
many. by the Germans for the control OF
the mouth of the Scheldt. There are even
detailed accounts of compensations of
fered by both sides for Hollands entrance
upon the war. Meanwhile the cost of
Dutch neutrality is mounting by leaps and
bounds. To meet these burdens the Min
ister of Finance has just introduced sew
eral measures in Parliament, providing,
first of all, for a new loan of s50,000,O0O
at AZ per cent, with the proviso that
# this loan is not voluntarily subscribed
for. it will be obtained by forced loans at
3lh per cent from fortunes Of 100000 and
upward. The proposals also contemplate
surfaces on capital and the doubling of
taxes on income above a certain amount.