Evening star., 1942-02-12
Van Nook Receives Assurance
OfU.S. Planes for Dutch Indies
Aide Will Remain
In Washington on
Arms Mission
By HELEN LOMBARD.


Old Washingtonians are signing
bit for the lost tranquility of their
town. Gone are the leisurely days
of 9-to-4 Office hours; of endless
official "at homes" of diplomatic
corps whose principal duty was the
somewhat nebulous task of creating
a sympathetic atmosphere" for their
respective countries.
This was done by engaging in an
endless round of luncheons, teas and
dinner parties with the more social
minded sections Of the Capital.
Gone are the days when an Assistant
Secretary of State used to indulge
the harmless vanity of having him
self called away from formal dinner
tables by protentious whisper from
the butler: "You are wanted on the
phone, SIR" The Assistant Secretary
would murmur as he rose: Affairs
of state, you know" and hurry to
the phone amidst an awed silence.
officials no longer have to arrange
for these little interludes; half the
dinner parties in Washington begin
without the male guests who arrive
any time between soup and dessert.
Calls to the telephone are too
frequent to be diverting and the
reasons for them are too serious to
be an aid to digestion. Washington
is now reaping the whirlwind from
the neutrality" period which allowed
Americas friends to perish while her
enemies armed.
Arms Paramount Problem.
Be 1t the White House, State, War,
Navy Departments or the Foreign
Missions. all activities now centers
around the question of arms.
Distinguished foreign spokesmen
Washington to add their voices to
the more routine pressure of their
resident diplomatic staffs. From
Queen Wilhelmina several distin-
euished emmissaries have come to
Washington in recent weeks. DR..
Eelco Van Kleffens, foreign secre-
tary Of the Netherlands, has been
seeing State Department officials
and meeting the Washington press
DR.. H. J. Van Nook, lieutenant
governor general of the Neither
lands Indies and his technical ad-
wiser, DR.. E. c. Zimmerman, have
been less officially active but have
been busily seeking arms for the
Indies.
DR.. Van Nook is a large blond
Dutchman who speaks English with
out an accent. This substantial
looking Hollander was almost dis
missed from the service in earlier
days because of his revolutionary
ideas" He objected to promotions
in the colonial service on the ground
of seniority alone and insisted that
the Indies must be run for the Dutch
people. and not for big business.
Today in the Indies, thanks to
DR.. Van Nook and some of his
progressive colleagues, the governor
general has complete authority over
the civil and military adniinistra-
ton and can even dismiss those
business representatives who do not
act for the good of the colonies.
Promises Obtained.
DR.. Van Mook's pleas for planes
went slowly at first coinciding as
they did with similar demands from
China, Russia. Australia and Great
Britain. He waited endless hours
for messages saying that the needed
airplanes were at his disposal
Finally he hit on the idea of tell
ing responsible officials in Wash
ington that the Dutch bottoms
reaching the Atlantic and the Pa
cific to take goods for the Dutch
colonies would accept cargo for the
other allies.
Toward the end of his visit Dr.
Van Nook could not dine with
few friends without being inter-
rupted by numerous calls from sud-
denly interested Washington Off
cials.
When the official flew to WASH
ington to make his plea, he left
behind him in Batavia his wife, a
son and a daughter. He was careful
to explain, however, that they we're
in no hotter spot than the other
100000 whites in the islands.
There was never a discussion of a
possible evacuation of the women
and children who make part of the
population. This fact, DR.. Van Nook
states quite calmly and with no hint
of extra urgency but cannily he
leaves DR. Zimmerman behind him
when he flies back to Batavia. DR..
Zimmerman already knows his way
in and out of the Allied Purchasing
Commissions and will follow up on
the promises DR.. Van Nook Wrested
from distracted Washington.
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