Evening star., 1942-02-11


forces of the United Nations in the
South Pacific is the famous Dutch
ship day" Admiral. whose small,
but aggressive feet was on war
footing seven days before Pearl
Harbor and in conjunction with
the Dutch air force, sank or dam
aged an average of one Japanese
vessel for 81 days after the war
| began.
The friends OF Vice Admiral Con-
rad Emil Lambert Helfrich rate
him as a prophet as we'll as an ef-
fective commander of light fight
ing ships with broad knowledge
OF the islands he has defended with
such spirit.
In 1918 a ranking Dutch officer
instructor at the Naval Staff School
at The Hague said that If war
came to Holland the next time the
world was set afire, he hoped it
| would come when Helfrich and
colleague, J. T. Furstner, were ad-
mirals.
Twenty-Five years later Vice Ad-
miral .Helfrich was commander in
chief of the Netherlands Indies
Navy. Seven days before that
propheSied war struck in the Pa
cific he issued an order to his fleet
which justified that faith.
While Cordell Hull and japanese
ENJOYS still were negotiating in
Washington to prolong peace, Ad-
miral Helfrich sent his navy out to
sea. Twenty-four hours after the
United States feet had been caught
at Pearl Harbor rowing Dutch sub
marine nosed into the shadows of
the Malayan coast and sank four
Japanese transports.
He Is Good Listener.
Long before he became the young
est admiral in Dutch naval history,
Admiral Helfrich personally and
professionally exchanged opinions
with strategists in other armed serv-
ices.
And always he was willing to
listen. No opinion appeared too
humble for him to hear, none too
authoritative for him to challenge.
He listens: if he disagrees he
gives you a few brief counterargu-
ments," said one of his submarine
commanders. "and you are lost
For all his listening. Admiral Hell.
frich is not silent man. Jovial
and gregarious, he could be. found
during the late afternoons of peace
time cocktailing with friends at
Batavia's swank Harmonic Club.
*Ah., the Harmonic Club" say tram
sient Dutchmen with the same vocal
Tilt with which Frenchmen add
"Oh la la" to "Ah Paree."
There, swapping stories from his
great fund of Jokes, he remained
until time for the evening walk
to his home
Walking His Chief Exercise.
Short and rotund, Admiral Hell
frich got his chief exercise in walk
ing. On Sundays he rounded up his
family-his wife, two young sons,
two daugters-and walked them
around the outskirts OF Batavia.
Occasionally before the war he took
a sailors holiday cruising about the
island in his official yacht and told
his sons, Just ready for their teens,
of the days when he won the Hol-
land regatta on the Zuider Zee.
But even as his gregariousness
belied the fact that very few men
really knew him-many OF his own
commanders do not know his flrst
name-his calm. unruftled leisure
belied the apprehension and antici-
patton with which he watched and
prepared as Japan crept southwark
on Asias coast.
In 1899 Admiral Helfrich and his
partner in prophecy, Vice Ad-
miral F'urstner, recently appointed
in London as Minister OF Naval
Affairs "a job that, by comparison.
combines the duties of Secretary
Knox and Admiral King. began
to draw up the plans which today
are defending the Indies. In May
of that same year, two years before
Germany overran the mother coun-
try, they instituted a twice daily
air patrol of the islands.
Again and again Admiral He'll
rich requested more money Tor de-
fense of the Indies. Just before
Holland was invaded he won au-
thorization for the Netherlands first
capital ships.
The fact that their keels never
were laid brought no lasting pain
to the admiral. He confidently
looked to his 5 cruisers, 8 destroy
ers, about 20 submarines, small fleet
Of torpedo boats and auxiliaries.
His islands, he knew, were best de-
Tended by smaller, speedier craft
that could dart through the phos-
phorescent water of the MacaSsar
Straits. creep into the shadows Of
the coast of the South Co. .
Always he hewed to - -.
The best defense is --.
He was among the ms; } i ~