Evening star., 1916-04-30

Hollands situation is obscure and the
dispatches contradictory. One day the
situation is unchanged" the next that
Hollands neutrality is threatened by
Germany" or again "by the entente
Yet as we shall see. the Pangermanist
League issues a manifesto which renders
comment unnecessary.
The latest dispatch, dated London.
April "a. may indicate that Hollands
policy Is not entirely in ac-
Holland'a cord with the Pangerman-
~. list pronunciamento. 1t
1oAlcy. says: "A Holland syndi-
cate headed by the vereeniging Bank
of Rotterdam will open shortly, in CO.
operation with Russian industrials, a
new bank at Petrograd as the Com
mercial Bank of Petrograd." With a
capital Of Ave million rubles the OBJ
ject is to develop the commercial re-
lations between Russia and Holland.
Holland appears to be rife with ru-
mors. among which that England had
demanded the right of passage across
Hollands territory rumor that mer-
its mention only because of the excite
ment it created The London Times of
the Sth instant, referring to the excite
ment in Amsterdam. explains that a
bookseller in Amsterdam had posted in
his shop window that Great Britain
had sent an ultimatum to the Dutch
government" And the Times followed
this mention by a quotation from the
Handelsblad:
I'VE learn with certainty that the
report concerning an ultimatum from
England was circulated by the con-
sulate here. The consul general of
Germany. Baron Won Humboldt Dach-
roden, received the news from The
Hague and believed it accurate. The
bookseller who posted the bulletin
learned the news from a secretary of
the German consulate. Later Baron
Won Humboldt heard there was only a
question of the possibility Of such an
ultimatum."
The above rumor is mentioned be-
cause of its manifest mischievous
character and the surprise 1t naturally
created that Holland had not made it
a subject of official protestation.
Besides. dispatch from The Hague
Of the oath instant quotes DR.. Van
Dyke the American minister as say
ing to the Associated Press agent:
There is no truth in the rumors that
Great Britain demanded the passage of
troops through Dutch territory. The
moderate precautionary measures taken
Uy I1Olidhu were WIN Ine view OF a
possible change in the general situa- :
tion producing an alteration of the
battle front. The dissemination of un-
founded sensational reports is repre-
hensible. particularly now"
1t appears from the admissions of
the Frankfurter Zeitung that great
part Of the rumors that excite Holland
are due to the circulation in the Meth :
erlands OF pamphlet. entitled "The
Netherlands and Germany an Assert
~ Nit.
contains excerpts from the writings of
such authors as Treitsche, List and
Frantz to show that Hollands fate is to
become part of the empire. These, ac-
cording to the Frankfurter Zeitung "do
not amount to much, being political dilet-
tantes."
But articles from well known pan
Germans are more serious. Says the
Frankfurter Zeitung: ION account of the
noise and threatening tone Of the prop
aganda the advocates of this ten
dency are often believed by foreign
ers to be the true representatives of
the German people. to the great detri-
ment of Germany. The redoubta BILE
Gen Gen: Won Bernhard and Prof. Ernst
Hasse are among those cited as seeing
Holland almost in the NAV of the
German colossus. and Prof. Adolf Las
son and Richard Ioozmann are credited
with having written letters full of
derogatory remarks regarding Hol-
land and prophetic of its future fate
In conclusion the Frankfurter lei
tung gives evidence Of remarkabl
change of opinion:
After all the German empire is not
governed by the Pan-Germau Union.
In the meantime perhaps many of the
experiences of this war will teach some
Germanss toshave a little greater feel
ing or responsibility in the future when
they present their pearls of political
wisdom to the world. For some time
linn hnt
mend the windows abroad that the
German-Rress breaks has lost its point.
1t seems now that generals and pro-
iessors have taken the latter task upon
themselves
From this distance It is not possible
to discuss these assertions Of the
Frank urter journal
Condemning other than to say that
p.~.h..l: We We're taught that
W. generals and professors,
and chief of these Won Bernhardi.
taught the doctrine of Deutschland
uber alles"-doctrine which the Frank
furter Zeitung now condemns apparently.
The blocus has undoubtedly embar-
rassed the commerce of some neutral
governments. as well as the Austro-
German alliance. but at the same time
some Of these neutrals. have largely
profited certain Holland merchants, and
the sum of these profits since the war
has reached such considerable propor-
tions as to soften in a large measure
the rigor Of the British order in council
Apropos to the above and the Ameri-
can protest made in the matter of re-
strictions on trade due to the block
ade, the State Department at Washing
ton issued a memorandum on the sub
Ject on the 2oth instant: Great Brit
ain and France maintain that the
blockade is fundamental right of the
belligerents. and that it is being con-
Quoted in accord with international
law with as little inconvenience to
neutrals as possible without impairing
its effectiveness. The entente allies
Will consider any PROPOSAL to rectify
any hardship suffered by neutrals pro-
vided the substantial effectiveness Of
the measures now in force be not inn
paired"
The Holland army is always mobil-
ized and prepared for defense, as it
was the S1st of July. 1914. The 31st of
July Holland and Russia alone of the
powers modified their armies. We are
told that August Herr Won JaRow
wrote the German ambassador at Lon
don that he might say to the English
government that Germany had solemn
!y given to Holland her word to respect
her neutrality even IL they should
come to armed conflict with Belgium
Whv this privileged treatment Of Hol-
land? Was there fear of attack by the
flank? The mobilization in such case
here We fall into the tenebrous. A
pamphlet published by NJ GoOteS at