The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-13


1t was In the sixth century, or what
the historians of Belgium call "the
century Of the saints" that the ham,
let amid the sand hills Of what was
as yet neither France nor Belgium be-
gan Its career. The Dune Church. or
church in the dunes, or ''Dunkirk,"
became thus early a centre Of light
and civilization. When, after the Mid
die Ages, tribesmen and sea rovers
had become political rivals and formed
themselves into monarchies, the grow
ing seaport became the focus of con-
flict between Spain and France, each
struggling to hold It.
When the Dutch Republic arose and
the Belgic Netherlands cast In their
lot with autocracy as incarnated in
PHILIP H., Dunkirk became SPANS
northern naval station. Nations even
then understood sea power, and
thence issued swarms Of "Dunkirk-
ers" to prey upon English and Dutch
commerce. 1t was to root out these
that MAURICE, son Of WILLIAM the
Silent, marched the republican army
into the Spanish Netherlands. Incl
dentally, by his victory at Nieupoort
he made possible the COLOMBIA ton Of
New Netherland, and even the settle
ment at Plymouth, begun by the May
flower men, who started from Leyden
In Holland.
Every one Of the colonists sailing
for regions north Of Virginia ran the
risk Of capture by the Dunkirkers.
In every one of the contracts made
by the Dutch West India Company,
or the PATRONS, with the dominies, or
ministers, and the schoolmasters-
seven of them commemornted in the
tablet in Washington Square In this
city-it was stipulated that their ran
som was to be paid III captured by
the Dunkirkers." In the case of the
professional men for the churches or
the public schools-which the Dutch
established in all their colonies-'sal-
airy was to be paid them while in the
Dunkirk prisons"
Later France acquired what has
been for over two centuries her most
northern town. President WILSON
will now see a city Of over fifty thou
sand people. with splendid docks and
Quays. The statue Of JEAN BART,
who ravaged the Dutch fishing smacks
in the interest Of the Bourbon mon
arch. stands in the public square
Many Of us recall that in 1909 during
the Hudson-Fulton ceremony and ma
val pageant-in the river first named
Mauritius, after MAURrcE-the French
Republic was represented by the bat
tleship Jean Bart.
1t was under the Bourbon lilies
that, through the wit of BENJAMIN
FRANKLIN and the tact Of LAFAYETTE,
France sent her fleets and armies
to deliver us from the German King
GEORGE and his corrupt sycophants-
against the protest Of the British
Wings. Then Dunkirk again assumed
importance in American eyes. OF
over eightscore privateers floating the
thirteen striped flag of the new born
republic at least seventy-eight were
directly commissioned by the Cont.
mental Congress. They Gifted" over
Ave million dollars worth of British
shipping. landing their spoil and sell.
ing most of It at Dunkirk. The QUA
des Americans did a thriving bust
ness, and the total activities Of the
privateers combined powerfully with
certain events at Yorktown to per.
suade the obstinate Hanoverian or
the throne to sue for peace.
/ In fact, the American naval men
have livelier historic associations
with Dunkirk than with Brest, OF
even Cherbourg or Marseilles.
So If our absentee and peripatetic
President visits this place Of historic
contact with New Netherlaad and the
United Colonies and the United
States of America the new occa sion
may serve not merely to teach new
duties but to reinforce some very old