Evening star., 1922-05-31
MEET THE HEDGE y
ALIAS THE HAGUE

Where Is S'Gravenhage? Give up!
Perhaps you know it as Den Haag.
No? Well, it Is only our old friend
The Hague dressed in Its native cos
tune
This uniquely labeled town. which
Is the only city Of Importance before
whose name we place "the" in Eng
Msh, is still more oddly named when
Its Dutch appellation Is translated
according to bulletin from the
Washington headquarters OF the Ma
tional Geographic Society. The bull
letin, which follows, is issued in con-
nection with the approaching conler
up the unfinished work OF the Genoa
conference:
1t Means "The Hedge"
"SGravenhage. which is the proper
name of the Dutch capital we call
The Hague" says the bulletin
means something like the hedge,
incIosed space of the count This
term was probably really descriptive
IN the early part of the thirteenth
century, when it was applied to
rural hunting lodge, but It haroiy
fits the present-day city, aImosl as
governed seven million Netherland-
ers and their colonial empire of near
ly ffty\million souls. On many Dutcn
maps the unwieldy name mas peen
shortened TO Den Haag, Whien we, IN
turn. have changed to The Hague.
AS we use il, then, the name means
If it means anything after its meta
morphosis-the hedge or the hedge
inclosure'
.The Hague is not typical Dutch
city. 1t does not have the commerce
and. industry of larger Amsterdam
and Rotterdam, nor TIE distinctive
Dutch quality of the smaller towns.
1t is cosmopolitan, and may be com.
pared to Washington in that Its chle1
business is governing. and that II Is
well built, has beautiful avenues ana
trees and is rich in parks. But there
is much of the strictly Dutch atmos-
phere. Numerous canals cross the
city's thoroughfares. and in the center
of the town is a stable lake, called
the Vyver-the fishpond--a survival
of the hunting-lodge days or Ioo
years ago. Cleaning white mansions
and government buildings are group
ed about this pond. which serves as
rejecting pool to set off their ap-
pearance-
PromenadinG Pastime.
THE Hague's shops and cafes are
excellent Lange Pooten is the city's
5th avenue and Michigan boulevard.
and there of a late afternoon and
evening the crowd of promenaders
seems out OF all proportion to even
population of 100000. Strolling of
an evening is such favorite pas
time OF the Dutch city dweller,
though, that one traveller has dubbed
1T Hollands national sport
ITO the east of the city is mag
nifcent wood-'the Bosch'-which is
a remnant OF the heavy forest that
once covered all this portion OF the
coast of the Netherlands. Roads and
walks extend into this beautiful nat
ural park, and deep in its interior.
beside small lakes. Is royal villa,
portions of which were erected hum
dreds of years ago. 1t was IN TINS
villa that was held in 1899 the first
Hague conference, called by the late
Gar Of Russia.
ITO the north Of the city is
smaller fragment of forest. and
through 1t extends a beautiful ave-
miles away. The terminus OF this
road is Scheveningen. Hollands At
lantic City. a feature which adds ma
terially to The Hague.s popularity as
beach of this seaside resort is dotted
with hundreds of queer. hooded, toad
stool-like beach chairs. and at. the
waters edge are drawn up scores
OF the bathing machines, without
which no European beach would be
complete.
TT was not by chance that The
Hague was chosen as the situation
for the Peace Palace, which Andrew
Carnegie donated in 1913. For hun
dreds of years the city has been the
center Of European diplomacy. II
might be known as the city Of treat
les From 1858 onward The Hague.
has been the scene of dozens of con-
ferences and treaty-makings. many
of them OF worldwide Importance.
1t was this background Of world
diplomacy that led many to believe
that The Hague would be chosen as
the seat OF the league of nations.