Evening star., 1947-10-08
u. N. Club asked :.
For Magazine Gifts
To Dutcb People .
By Frances Lide

pea 1Or current magazines Tor
the young people Of the Neither
lands was brought before members
OF the United Nations Club yester-
day by Mrs. Bakker-van Bosse,
member of the Advisory Commit
tee to the Netherlands Government
on Human Rights.
Mrs. Baker, who addressed the
clubs opening luncheon of the sea-
son, pointed out the paper short
age in her country is so acute that
newspapers are unable to give an
adequate picture of world affairs.
This cuts into the cultural and So
cial life of the nation and works
a special hardship on young peo-
pie, she declared. =.
"Our youth are bursting with en-
thusiasm to find places in the world,
but they find it hard to get at the
root of things" she explained.
No more welcome gift could be
sent to her country than discarded
weekly and monthly magazines CIV
ing information on what is hap
pening in the world, the speaker
emphasized.
Mrs. Baker, who talked on 'The
Reconstruction Of the Netherlands
Today" said that visitors are
amazed at what they see, although
we are not so happy, for we know
the difficulties, such as housing,
which is too dreadful to think
about"
Her country, she declared, is not
especially afraid of famine during
the coming months, both because it
Is an agricultural nation and be-
cause 1--WE have learned to go hun
gry."
She warned, however, that famine
in Europe would lead to Communism
and predicted that Europe's ideo-
logical future depends on France.
IF France turns Communist, the
rest of Europe will be lost" she said.
The weapon that will save 1t Is
not the atom bomb but the loaf of
bread"
AS for her own country. Mrs.
Baker said its two greatest prob
lens are Indonesia and the condi-
ton of Germany.
The Netherlands is forced to
realize that its prosperity is linked
with is eastern neighbor, Germany
because of trade relations, she ex-
planned.
AS for the 1ndonesian situation,
she begged her audience to grant
there is something to be said for
our side, too. We haven't all of a
sudden become imperialistic fiends. {"
She declared that the Dutch had
put many years of their best effort
into building up Indonesia as a
prosperous community and that it
was only natural they should have
expected material help from that
part of the world" Instead, she said,
I'VE woke up one day to find our
selves infamous"
The speaker, who came to this
country for the September meeting
of the International Council of
Women in Philadelphia, will return
home in few days. A lawyer, she
was the fifth woman to be graduated
in law from Leyden University.
Among special guests at the
luncheon were Stanley X. Horn
beck, former Ambassador to the
Netherlands; Mrs. Hornbeck and a
group from the Netherlands En-
bassy, including Nine. Helb, wife
of the Counselor; Col. R. Roos, the
Military Attache, and Nine. Schiff,
wife of the Second Secretary.
Still others include Thomas Basyn
of the World Bank, Clarence Aspin-
wall, president of the Netherlands
American Foundation; Rear Ad-
miral and Mrs. Clark Woodward,
John M. Begg Of the State Depart
ment, Mrs. Harold Walker, Mrs.
Henry Leonard, Mrs. James Law
renee Houghteling, Mrs. Edward r..
Finkenstaedt and Mrs. Catherine
Schoen. Mrs. James OHanlon
served as chairman.
In connection with Mrs. Bakers
appeal for magazines, Miss Mere
dith Howard, founder of the United
Nations Club, reported that it is
sending books to build up a library
for the Allied Circle Club in Amster-
dam. =.