Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-02-15
holland DODG|NG
SECURITY TREATIES
Nation, Ruled by Women
With Excellent Results,
Too Wise, Says Harden.
BY MAMMALIAN HARDEN.

BY Radio to The star.
AMSTERDAM, February a. -
Throughout European chancelleries
runs the rumor that Holland is going
peace. But any diplomat who be-
lieves this must have singularly
ignorant notion of this country.
Those persons would never make
such a mistake who have lived al
The Hague and have admired the
age-old architecture on the canal
banks-Rembrandt' Anatomy Les
son." Vermeer's masterful landscapes
Lelft's marvels--or who have wan
dered with respectful horror through
the Carnegie catacombs of peace
which are separated from the world S
activities by massive wrought-iron
gates presented-ironically enough
by the German Empire.
one who knows Holland thinks OF
windmill sails slowly whirling, OF
tulips and hyacincths blooming over
wide fields, weary horses dragging al
tow ropes and on the sea coast men
and women, old and young, tramping
about in heavy white wooden shoes.
Ruled by Women.
The writer's Journals g colleagues
who have attended peace conferences
or have had business with The Hague
tribuanl, could give more ample in
formation. Also invisibly there rules
IN PaleiSStraat a court of women. Fol-
years Queen Emma reigned as regent
and for the last % years Wilhelmina
has been Queen, and it may be de-
cades before Juliana. the only living
child of Wilhelmina's union with a
German prince, succeeds her on the
throne.
Ihls long reign of women. without
parallel in continental history. has
Denented this nation of seafarers
cattle breeders, fishermen and mer-
chants just as much as the gov
ernments of Queen Elizabeth and
queen Victoria benefited Great Brit
ain. And without clubbing Catherine
the Great, the pioneer bachelor
girl, it must be admitted that she
furnished a strong argument TO those
ladies' who, with short skirts, man
nlsh clothes and cigarettes, are work
Ing for extension OF women's rights
The riches of this coalless land are
mainly raw stuffs from colonies
which are still known under the fairy
tale name of "Insulinde.'' No other
Asiatic colonists can boast Of equal
achievement, yet one hears little
about them. Holland goes quietly on
her way. Since she threw off the
Spanish yoke and then Bonaparte'
and because England prefers. on the
opposite side of the channel, two
small states to one big one, she has
held aloof from political ambition,
quietly developing her riches and en-
joying herself meanwhile
Is 1t reasonable to suppose this
small. unambitious, peaceful state
into whose lap art has poured its
blessings and who has received more
Nobel prizes than many greater ones
viii lightly abandon the neutrality
from which she profited SO hugely
only five years ago and join Eng
land. Belgium and France in a pact
to defend the Versailles boundaries?
1t is said that the Russian-Japa.
nese treaty threatens Hollands East
Indian possessions and Holland alon.
could not protect them against Mos
COW and Toxic and possibly Peking
and that England will guarantee
these possessions if Holland in re-
turn will share in the obligation tc
maintain the Scheldt- Rhine line
which is to be the bulwark of Eng.
lands continental might.
Refuses to Be BIuffed.
No. the sober, merchance judgment
Of Dutch statesmen will refuse to bt
dazzled or bldffed. Neither in Asia
nor Europe will they be inveiglet
into the noisy international area.
Tue Winston Churchill might fine
it advantageous to let Singapore be
defended from the Sunda Islands by
Dutch forces and save money for the
British taxpayer. but neither Eng
land. Australia nor the power gov
erning the Philippines would permi'
Hollands sovereignty over those
islands TO be infringed for British
India would be encircled and Aus
tralia's Pacific coast would be threat
ened if an Asiatic power got a base
at Insulnde.
Physical need is stronger than any
contract so Holland can depend or
British aid without paying Grea'
Britain's price Anyhow neither tbs
aid of the Dutch nation nor any Other
can guarantee peace which is at the
mercy of any nation SO long as civ
ilized man does not regard war as
a punishable crime.
Copyright, 1921