The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-09-16
DUTCH STACCER
UNDER WAR TAX
Wages Stationary, But Cost Of
Necessaries Goes
Up and Up
BETWEEN MILLSTONEs
by CHARLES EDWARD RUSSELL
Noted American Sociologist, Tour.
tna Europe for The Star

NE fbbOE, follano, sept.
16.-ln the North sea, about 40
miles OF the Dutch port Of
Flushing. 10 a lightshIp called
the North Hinder. N you go
that way now you will see
always standing BY IL a vessel
OF the Dutch navy.
What for7 Why, TO pick up
the survivors OF peaceful nner-
chant ships and harmless fish
ing boats that will be blown up -
by submarines or mines In that
neighborhood.
North Hinder-the place 10
ships graveyard. II has figured
more In dispatches about sunk.
en- ships In this war than any
other spot In all the seas, for
the floor OF the ocean there
about 10 paved with the wrecks
Of neutral vessels. large and
small, mostly sunk with their
crews.
The war is full Of mad mOnstrosi.
ties, but this Is one OF the worst.
Combatants mangle and kill one
another. give aud take. for that Is
the deYilish game. but there is no
sense In the riot OF wanton destruc-
tion that has piled up the death
lists and spread loss and misery IN
like Holland. that have
nothing on earth 10 do with II all
One OF the most extraordinary
spectacles ever known in the affairs
OF men was the Holland. Belgium
frontier after the fall OF Antwerp.
Day and night the roads were
damned with the stream Of fugi-
tives ceaselessly pouring over the
border. some IN wagons. carriages,
carts. wheelbarrows and auton%6y
biles: most OF them on foot. penn
less and starving. crying for braH
and water. 800. 900 OF them all 4
Such a strain upon all the
sources OF it's benevolence no
try ever had suddenly thrusts L
IL. Holland was already carin
zoe. 900 refugees. In As hours
was called upon 10 feed and sh
enough more OF these to equal
fourth OF her own population.
II is tremendous strate.
game Ia which she is being bait.
about.
From the beginning OF the wa1I
Germany wanted Holland for thu
sake OF the Dutch ports from which,.
TO attack England: also for tbe'
mouths Of the Rhine. which she has
coveted for many years and always
expected to get
On the other hand. Holland would
be OF inestimabie value TO the al
lies. because she would afford an
open door thru which they could hit
Germany deadly blow In the back.
To keep going in the midst OF this
wild clash OF opposing forces and
OF all the other troubles is as hard.
Job as government ever knew.
Germany says. do this or vi
choke you by shutting off a gres /
part OF your coal supply"
England says. DO this or we shut
off the rest"
To meet the perplexing situation
the Dutch government has been
compelled TO carry TO unheard-of
lengths the doctrine aud practice o:
government ownership.
II organized the Holland Over.
seas Trust. which has taken control
OF the entire ocean-borne foreign
commerce Of the country in about
the way the British government
took over the British railroads.
A few days ago II practically took
over the potato business. All pots-
toes must be sold in the open mar
ket, under government direction.
Thirty per cent of them the govern
ment lays aside for home consump-
ton. OF what is left 25 per cent is
allotted TO Great Britain. II the
price obtained for these is less than
the open market price, the differ
enee is to be made up later 10 the
producer.
The rest is sold in the market, all
futures and speculation being
knocked out by rule that there
must be actual spot delivery OF ALI
sales.
A clever Canadian has worked
out for the Dutch government a
similar scheme for handling other
staple food products. The govern
ment is shying away as long as II
can. but there is no other way TO
handle the situation. Also. no other
way TO meet the increasing clamors
OF the working population. now
squeezed hard between growing
prices and stationary wages.
The once popular queen has lost
much OF her popularity. partly be-
cause OF her German husband and
partly for other reasons.
There is a rising tide OF resent
ment because the government has
done nothing but offer wordy pro
tests against the torpedoing OF
steamers.
IL Is a stormy season-in neu-
trail country that had nothing 10 do
with the war and yet has been sore
ly hurt by these two black years
OF 1t.
m M