The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-03-07
new NATION IN
west EUROPE
IS MADE GOAL
"Shirts" Would Merge Hell
land, Parts of Belgium
and France
By LUCIA RIZZARDI
United Press Staff CORRESPONDENT
(Copyright 1884 by United Prcss)

(Copyright 1884 by United Prcss)
DRUGFS. Belgium, March T.
UTP) Tho creation Of Il new IA
ton in western Europe. emhrac-
in,r. Holl;rd a large part of Bel
rirn and z corner of France. IS
tho 9cal of Joris van Severen and
his "Grccn Shirt army.
The lO-year-old war veteran
who ?.7ircs to unite the Dutch OF
Flard e.. with Holland and form
a Greater Netherlands" IN fas
els lnos freely told of mis- work
in ~ interview with the United
Pre-.
Portraits of MusSOlini and Hi
10y hung on the wall of his study
in the little town Of st. Michel
vhorr he directs a movement eX-
torii,-r into th~rc countries. Be
sido them hung a map of Europe,
with the "Groot Ncderland' which
Re OMISSIONS outlined in black.
"Wc are going to create solid
patton by destroying what has
divided It." said Van Severen, q
thin. soldier-like figure with q
commanding po~soHality. 1--WE arc
c-ri-~-. ! &c. n basic history. The
feuds Of political pa"tirf. class
warfa~o and the Cani'aliFt-c01
i~cllod narliampnt must 20. Tn"
Dutch people will be reunited IN
strong cooperative state"
REVIVED SEPARATISTS
Long before the war separa-
fist movement had existed among
the Flemish in Belgium. Van Sew
eren was active in it. During the
war Flemish soldiers maintained
a close bond of comradeshlp and
often showed dislike for their
Walloon Officers, who spoke a Diff
ferent language. The Flemish
separatist movement vas kept
alive. by secret means until the
Belgian government outlawed 1T.
After the war. in which he
served with conspicuous gallantry,
Van Severen was energetic in re-
vivingSthe movement. He was
electedto parliament in 1921 and
served eight years.
During that time," he said, cts
methods filled me with contempt.
learned to hate the politicians
from the bottom of my heart.
81 became convinced that our
people would have to go back to
the beginning, to assert the exist
ence of a Dutch nation and to
develop a great Dutch state. I'm
der the Influence of Charles Maur-
raS. the French royalist leader,
and the Italian fascist movement,
Iconceived a Dutch cooperative
state. which I urged in parliament.
"This cost me my seat at the
next election. So in 1881 | organ
lied the Verbond van Dietsche
National SnGdariStcn. commonly
called the Dirasos.' Our ultimate
aim is a confederation - an AN
sehluss,' if you will-of the Dutch
people of western Europe.
CLAIMS GROWTH
We have = 700 members. 1000
in our trade u7'ons and 700 mill
tiamen. Only tho militiamen are
forced to wear the green velvet
shirt. All the mon. however, are
trained by strict discipline.
2 Our strength is growing every
day. We are well-organized with
financial, prop" yanda, trade-union
and military branches. We now
have twenty Green houses in
cities and large villages like Brus-
sells, Antwerp and Client. Some of
them are equipped with attractive
cafes, social rooms and libraries. Z"
Van Severen vigorously denied
that any financial support for the
movement had come from Ger
many, as socialist quarters have
charged. The "Dinasos'' strive to
counteract all foreign elements
with ideas opposed to the move
m en- rs PRINCIPLES, including
French and pro-French Belgians,
The government recently de-
creed against the wearing of uni,
forms, but the "Dinasos" evaded
it by wearing overcoats to anG
from their meeting places.