The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-07-07
THRIFTY DUTCHMEN TURNED INTO
THIEvINC DESPERADOES BY WAR
Genuine Shock Has Come to Those Who in Old Days Admired Indus.
trious Honander Whose Only Occupation Now Is In
Deeds of Daring and ~Robbery-County Is
Now Paradise for Thieves.

While, Of course, 1t would be unfair
10 say that every one of the demobil-
lied soldiers has turned burglar after
receiving his discharge from the army,
1t is safe TO say that one-half of the
100000 troops has turned its atten-
ton to either burglary, petty or grand
larceny or highway robbery as a
means to keep the wolf from the door
without an undue amount of physical
exertion.
The visitor In Holland, although he
Is still much In the minority because
OF the passport restrictions, has
learned to keep his hand on his wal
let pocket and his fingers firmly
around the n Of a stout cane when
ever he ventures out into the street
or along a country path, once Hol-
lands delight and the safest prone
made In the wide world.
Daring Highway Robberies.
The 'kwajongems." who used to
stand In proper awe of the we'll
dressed nan or woman In the public
thoroughfares of the city, now openly
and brazenly snatch at watch chains,
ladies' bags or pocket books that are
carried In the hands by the ladies.
Nine times In ten the culprit manages
to make a clean getaway In the crowd
of sympathetic Irufiians, who gather
quickly at the first sign Of disorder
In the street.
Children sent to the stores by their
mothers are often the victims of the
thieves, who take away their pennies,
and market baskets on the way to the
expectant housewives very often go
astray and ultimately reach the dens
of the underworld, now a real menace
In the economic and civic life Of the
Netherlands.
The same spirit of disregard of the
conventions that obtains throughout
the country. as far as the rights Of
others Is. concerned. obtains In the ma.
TONS parliament-the Staten Gen.
eraal. Ultra bolshevistic members &C.
cupy seats In the lower chamber and
openly advocate doctrines which, a
year before the war began In 1914,
would mot have been listened to by any
se~lf-respecting Dutchman. The self-re-
specting Dutchman must listen to
these doctrines now, for they are
preached on every street corner, from
the forums and from the platform Of
the governing body, whenever the
raiical wing gets a chance to give
voice to its sentiments.
Blocked at the Frontier.
The government does everything hu-
manly possible to prevent the influx Of
the radical element from Germany
and every day dozens of would-be in
truders, be they bolshevist or Sparti-
Gus, are turned back at the frontier
with the admonition to 60 East. But
many slip through, with the result
that this formerly quiet. orderly land
Is fast being poisoned by the seed Of
violence that has been planted In Its
fertile soil from the very day that the
one-time kaiser entered the country as
a refugee and the one-time crown
prince took up his involuntary abode
on the Island of Wieringen.
There Is enough of the regular army
left to prevent any serious concerted
movement by the forces of the NAL
contents, especially as they are not
organized and no leader has yet put
In an appearance. The police In the
various districts, too, still observe the
street discipline of the pre-war days
although they have 10 been very sue
cessfu1 in stamping out the lawless
ness that Is everywhere evident, they
are, at least. holding the unruly ele
ment In check and, to a certain de
gree, holding 1t In awe Of municipal
authority.
The principal hope of the better
educated class Of Hollanders lies II
an early restoration of the regulal
channels Of food importation.
Now Land Of Unrest.
Just now the Hollander is anything
but tractable. He will drop his ham
mer, his shovel, his hoe or his churn
ing handle at the drop of a hat 81
the whisper of a labor agitator. III
imagines that he is the under dog O
every man who possesses q nicke
more than he does.
From a land Of calm, peaceful
seething quiet, Holland has changed
into q land Of unrest. 1t oozes out O
the very ground at every step on
takes. Lack Of grains keeps the girls
mills idle. which consequently fail t
provide work for those who might b.
induced to take up the broken strand
of their tasks and don the snow whit
of the miller for the blue Of the sol
|, der.
Stagnation in shipping, owing to tn
restrictions placed upon the countr,
/ by the allies. has had Its natural eff
feet upon Hollands inland waterway
! commerce, with the result that thou
/ sands Of men who were employee,
/ along the numerous canals, both q
> boatmen and tow drivers, before tn,
war. now find their vacations gone
This Is another important industr.
which. II 1t could resume Its norma
proportions. would greatly reduce tn
. number Of the unemployed.
: Over everything, however, looms tn
49, A-A