The sun., 1919-03-16
Voices OF Hollands People.

Voices OF Hollands People.
There are in the United States at
least 100000 people of Netherlands
blood or descent. Hence the interest
among Americans as to the real state
Of opinion in Holland during the
world war.
Last November disquieting rumors
reached us. The German propagan-
dists, hand in hand with q minority
OF their fellow plotters in the Meth
erlands, actually attempted to over
throw Dutch law and order. Yet
those intimate with the facts took no
stock in rumors which charged pro-
Germanism on Government or people
and censorship are fully removed we
can discern the actual situation. In
Holland, while the issue of the war
was still uncertain, there were men
brave with pen and voice who upheld
the cause Of the Allies. In the face
Of profiteers who had Invested heav-
lily in German war bonds. and the
open pro Germanism of certain jour
nalists and theologians. these men
came out frankly for the Allies. In
a land in which every political ques-
ton is entangled in theological partl-
sanship, this meant the risk of social
| ostracism.
The volume of Dr. F. J. KRoP of
Rotterdam. one of the most famous
preachers in the kingdom. is an ex-
ample of manliness in the scholar
The substance of the text was writ.
ten and printed at intervals long be.
fore the date of the preface, August
1918. Without sitting on the fence to
note the issue, DR.. KRoP Numbered
out his proofs that the heart of the
Dutch people was sound for democ
racy. His volume, of over six hun
| bred pages, is entitled "Huguenoot
sche en- Calvinistische Stemmen." Ir
! these are the voices Of the Dutcl
people and their trusted leaders. Fol
DR.. KRoP. besides digesting the hooks
and articles in the reviews and tho
! daily press, has threshe1 out the sub
stance contained in hundreds of those
| Kerkbode (ChurCh Tidings) for which
Holland is so famous, representing
every shade of religious belief
Hence, besides giving carefully com
puted statistics, he measures accu
rately the force of pro- German or pro
Ally opinion in Holland.
The overwhelming evidence show,
that MS in the carly dark days wher
the infant republic, formed in 1879
was struggling with giant Spain, tn,
hope of the nation is now in the PEG
pie. Such a reservoir of opinion an,
power is, of course, sought to b.
controlled by the ambitious men il
Holland who can best write or speal
Dutch or manipulate policies. Thl
line of endeavor that is most likcl.
to win success is in an adroit mixture
of theology and popular journalism
A notable modern instance is that o
DR.. ABRAHAM KUYPER, n superb styl
list, who through hG abilities u
preacher and as "politlcus' game,
the Premiership in 1902. Millions o
Dutch people at home, in the colonie
and in the United States trusted him
He was the Stone lecturer at Prince
ton in 1892. Yet, led away by tn
seeming invincibllity Of the Germa
hordes in 1914, he Topped completed
over to the side of autocracy.
At this his quondam followers wer
shocked and tens of thousands refuse
, to follow their almost idolized leadeI
They asked, "Why did he leave us?
Let us inquire how the poltico-theC
logical mind sometimes works. Pre-
textiug the "'ntldelity" of France an
! swallowing the verbal plety of PotI
} dam, the eX-Premier Mortified Anne
lean and Netherlander alike by VII
tually raising the flag of the doubl
crowned double eagle. He could M
say enough against England. III
words about the United States wer
9 not friendly. The Kaiser, delighted
sent DR.. KUYPER a basket of flower
| and an autograph letter on his brit
day; whereat the editor of the Stan,
/, dard still further outraged his oil
r friends who because of his reputC
. orthodoxy mad so Tong thought MI
2 IN oracle,
between the German iunkcrs an
0 propagandists and the Dutch people