The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-22
In Hollands Defense.

Ernest Pollard sergeant jor in
the American F.xpeditionary Forces
stationed at Rotterdam. Holland
sporting editor of the Virginian at
the time OF his departure for over
There and an original Howitzer, is
having the time of his life he writes
He had hoped to be among those
present when the ship lands Sunday
but the plans of men and mice in
terfered.
incidentally the sergeant-major is
keeping his hand in by editing The
Wind MIL Il Little barrack puhlica-
ton, sayoring of the land Of the
Netherlands, Dutch cheese and pop
pies. In tho last edition. a. copy OF
which has just been received by the
society editor of the Nirgnan he
takes up" for tine women of Holland
in an editorial. which is here ap-
pended.
He writes that the women of Roe
terdam grabbed hold Of $4,000 for
entertainment purposes. and that the
Yankees are being treated A No. l.,
They have access free of war tax and
other charges 10 all the theatres, and
parties. ofvladies are conducting them
through he various sights OF the
land In his editorial Sergeant Pol
lard says:
1t may seem presunptious for The
Wind Mill TO take issue with the Chi
cago Tribune. but, when the discus
sion involves the treatment of the
Americans in Holland, we should
certainly know whereof we speak,
and feel qualified to cross editorials
swords with any of our contempt
raries.
A writer for the Tribune paid Hol-
land a visit recently, and there is
now series of signed articles ap-
| pearing in its Paris edition. giving
the many impressions the writer re-
ceived during his sojou-n in the Meth
| erlands.
He writes that the women OF Rot
about Hotiant for three weeks now,
and ! can say without prejudice that
my observation leads TO the copclu-
sion that the German is more vel
come in the land of bikes and wind
! mills than is the American"
| One of the headlines preceding this
| article reads: "Boche is Welcome
There" and goes on to declare that
he is much better liked by Hollander
than citizens of allied nations"
| AS American soldiers acquainted
with conditions here, we beg to differ.
HCIS Is no one tHit SetS dFOuT u
nor mingles more with the masses
| than a soldier stationed as we are
I in big city; and there is no one
more likely to abuse and bad treat
i ment than a foreign soldier in neu-
trail land And II the Hollander was
cold or Indifferent to the American.
! the American soldier in Holland
| would be first to scent this GOODNESS or
indifference. Yet it is doubtful
whether any American army contin-
gent--even m the allied country--is
| treated as Well by the natives as is
the little group of Yanks living, for
! the time being, in Rotterdam.
| We cannot expect the Hollander TO
| laud the American soldier as a con
| quering hero nor can we expect laurel
| wreaths to he showered at him on the
| streets OF Rotterdam as he passes by.
| We must remember that this is neu
| trail land where is bound to be di-
| vision of sentiment Just as existed in
our own country before we entered
! the war.
II we had remained neutral and
| for instance body OF italian sol
| dicrs had established "a base in an
| American city, would We have been
| likely to have opened our hearts and
| homes to them Would We as indi-
vidua1S go out Of our way to extend
| them courteSies aud To brighten their
stay with Us" or would we not he
more promo To look upon them only
| as an object &c curiosity and pas
them by with an amused eye and
| the thought that they are lust a
bunch OF soliers from Italy,
Yet. in Holland. it has 'been the
| experience Of everyone of us to have
accepted ana enjoyed more or less
hospitality. There have been cases
where we have met with GOODNESS 4.
but such cases are in the small minor
| ity
The recans affair at our Y. ". c.
A.. given by "a society of Holland
Indies, and our present jolly parties
at HARLEM, are both examples of
! Holland hospitality that was never
ours in Franco and Belgium
Food is cheaper than we have
found it elsewhere Prices are of sim
gle standard; not one price for the
American soldier and another for the
civilians as we have found In places
where there was much more reason
for fair play than here.
After all. places Of amusement
speak the true sentiments of n people:
II performers are to entertain and
please, they must speak the mind and
heart of the Llajority. It's American
ing time: and we have never visited
cabaret that rendered German
war song.
We have attended three musical re-
vues in Holland. The first revue
which recently closed at the Casino
theatre here-ended with a grand A.
male. with ell the chorus dressed in
American flags and singing a tribute
TO our flag: The Stars and Stripes
Over AL" We also attended per-
formance OF Extra Tiding," the most
successful revue in Amsterdam, to find
that the extra tiding was the news
that President Wilson was to attend
the peace conference and that the
plot of the piece (such as it was) was
conferred around a fanciful visit OF MIR.
Wilson to Holland to help her out Of