Evening star., 1942-01-10
Dutch Paying Cash
For War Weapons
Delivered by u. 5.
Indies Getting Arms in
Many Cases Without
Written Contract
By SHEILAH GRAHAM,


Correspondent OF The Star and North
American Newspaper Alliance.
NEW YORK, Jan. 10.-The "in-
donitable Dutch" are good payers as
well as fine fighters. They pay 100
per cent for every inch OF armament
they take from this country.
I'VE have been given the facilities
of the lease-lend bill because Of the
priority of delivery it entails. But
we have never availed ourselves Of
the borrowing privileges under the
act" My informant is E. c. Zim-
norman, the Netherlands East In
dies commissioner in the United
States.
This reporter asked for details of
the amounts of Dutch money speEt
on American ornaments, but was
now considered military secret
but 1 can tell you this" said Mr..
Zimmerman. I'VE have already paid
a good number of millions of dollars
on the line and we are prepared to
spend another $500 900, 900 OOO."
Where does this money come
from? It comes from the rubber, tin
and quinine OF the Indies sold to the
United States in vast quantities.
Halt in Business Doubted.
The war in the Pacific has not yet
affected the shipments from the
Dutch East Indies to this country.
And I don't anticipate that there
will be any cessation Of business"
Mr.. Zimmerman said.
In fact. our average exports OF
rubber which used to be around
10000 tons a month have increased
to about $4,000 tons This last is
an average of the past three months
and includes the period of japanese
hostilities."
The great need OF the fighting
Dutchmen in the Pacific is the same
old story-planes. I'VE want fighter
planes and bombers in unlimited
quantities. the commissioner stated.
I'VE want them especially for Java
and of course all over the territory.
In addition to the planes, we
are buying all the ornaments that
can be made available. Like this
country and everywhere else. we are
not yet getting all We would like
to have, but deliveries to the Far
Eastern battlefront are increasing
in satisfactory manner"
The threat to the Dutch East In
dies Is considered grave enough for
the rushing of armaments from the
United States without the formality
of a written contract. In many
cases the orders are transmitted by
word of mouth and accepted In
Washington unhesitatingly. This
trust is based on Dutch integrity
and the past record of cash pay
ments.
Many Jap Ships Sunk.
The Dutch have also proved by
valor on the fighting front their
right to priority In war weapons.
Their navy. almost to ship, plus
large part of the merchant service
escaped to England and the Meth.
erlands possessions after the Hitler
machine stampeded into Holland in
May, 1910.
Without chronicling the good work
OF Queen Wilhelmina' Navy against
the German and italian warships
the Dutch in the war against ia
pan and since December 7. 1871, have
sunk one cruiser, two destroyers,
four troop transports, one tanker,
three frelghters, three transports,
one lighter. four supply transport
ships. And they have put out of
action three transports, one sea-
plane tender. and damaged and
probably sunk two cruisers. In ad-
dition they have bagged many Jap
planes.
The Dutch are true to their motto:
"Je n1eintiendra"- carry on.