Evening star., 1935-06-02
HOLLAND is VITAL SPOT
In ATTACK ON GOLD BLOC
Burden of Maintaining Florin on Stand
ard Is Increased by Loss of Tourists
and Foreign Markets.

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until recently Mussert, with some
financial backing. has created fol-
lowing that stands fourth in political
strength today. The Nazis in the
recent municipal elections captured
about 40 provincial council seats and
polled per cent of the total vote.
They are now pointing for the next
general election and have high hopes
of becoming the largest opposition
party.
The only thing that seems likely to
stop the Nazis growth in Holland is a
common front" There are indica-
tions that the Catholics, who hold the
largest number of seats in the Right
bloc of 48 Deputies, and the Socialists.
who have Is of the Left Wing seats and
who thus far have refused to partici-
pate in the national coalition, which
now governs, may form a working
combination in Parliament. Both
groups have much in common-and
much upon which they disagree ba-
sically.
Conservative Loss Feared.
The Catholic leaders. however. fear
that if they unite to form govern
ment with the Socialists they will lose
a large percentage of their conServa-
tive voters. Rather than associate
with the Socialists these reactionaries
will 60 over to Musserts Nazis. Like
wise the Socialists stand to lose a lot
of their strength through collabora-
ton with the Catholics, because the
Left Wing Socialists will prefer to
stand with the Communists. In other
words the Catholics fear they will be-
come radical through a combination
and the Socialists fear their leaders
will become conservative if exposed to
Catholic contamination. In the French
elections the Extreme Right and Ex-
treme Left gained at the expense of
the Moderates in the last election.
Th same thing may happen in Hol-
land.
Because a Catholic Socialist align
ment may experiment in financial
matters-as happened in Belgium
the bankers and Conservatives will do
everything in their power to preserve
the existing national government.
But. as in England and France, it is
difficult to perpetuate an unnatural
combination. Especially since things
are going from bad to worse eco
nomically
Attempts at "def1ation" have
brought the same results as the Swiss
and French experienced. Reduced
priceS-retail or wholeSale-mean the
inevitable accompaniment of reduc-
ton in wages and salaries. Func-
tionaries and workers will not stand
for this. and are turning to the Nazis
who promise anything and every
thing. The Nazis. adopting the tac-
tics of Hitler and his Brown Shirts In
the early stages of their development,
have their own newspaper. Volk en-
Vaderland. which is sold by countless
unemployed workers. or newsboys, on
the streets. When they recognize
their comrades the Nazis snap into
the Hitler -Mussolini salute.
Uniforms Kept Brushed.
Their uniforms. forbidden in public
demonstrations. are kept brushed and
pressed for private occasions and
der tag" When Mussert started his
crusade the Dutch newspapers ridi-
culed him. The Dutch people who
had 54 parties in the last elections)
were too individualistic to fall for
uniforms, Nazi songs, salutes, etc.
said the newspapers. They missed
their guess. Mussert has proved that
they are no different from their Aryan
hrO
For the moment Mussert has frowned
upon anti-Semitism and is following
more closely in Mussolini's rather
than Hitler's footsteps. He advocates
stronger army and navy, old-age
pensions. jobs for every one. q cor
porate state and a dictatorship, with
Queen Wilhelmina as sovereign"
Upon what develops in Belgium
and perhaps Switzerland-will depend
to a large extent the course the Dutch
will take. Or, on the other hand,
if the bankers change their tactics
they may emulate Great Britain and
go off gold overnight, leaving an
astonished France, Switzerland, Italy
and Germany to carry on as best they
can. Presumably the Dutch are
pledged to consult with Berne, Rome
and Paris before they make any move
Actually they have free hand, and
can be expected to use it to their
own advantage The Dutch financiers
lost millions when Great Britain de-
valuated; they propose to get some Of
it back if possible. Speculation in
the f1orin continues uninterruptedly.
One day there is flight of gold from
Holland and the next day that un-
happy metal, searching for a safe
haven, is pouring back into Dutch
vaults. But shifting of bullion and
mounting gold reserves is not going
to solve Hollands troublesome eco
nomic and commercial situation. Nor
bring jobs to her growing army Of
unemployed, which at last reports
totalled 432. 1892, or SO per cent of her
entire working population. Nor will
it bring back markets which the
japanese, Germans, British and Bel
gians have acquired through devalua-
ton or currency Juggling.
Can Only Protest Mildly.
Being a small country with a large
colonial empire, or at least a very rich
one, the Dutch, like the Portuguese,
depend largely on the friendliness of
their more powerful neighbors to re-
tain their overseas territories and
wealth. Consequently, when Japan,
or England, or any other country with
a powerful naval establishment cuts
in on her field Holland cannot do
more than protest mildly.
IF we only had England's navy we
would quickly protect our Dutch East
Indies markets against the Japanese"
said one Dutch industrialist, who dab
bles in politics. "Or, If Great Britain
had a definite Far Eastern policy we
could hook on to her chariot and COM
bat japanese penetration" he added.
Be that as it may. One can buy Jap
anese- made bicycles in Holland today
for II forms. while the cheapest
home made bicycle costs at least 30
fiorins. And the japanese undersell
in Holland despite a tariff.