Show HOLLAND PAYS DEAR TO KEEP NEUTRALITY i Keeping Army Army o oLanda on War on-War War Footing to Guard Approaches Approaches' by byLand Land Landa and nd Sea Seas Sea Is s Cost Costing ng Little King Kingdom dom in 3 1 1 in n A Addition to Ordinary Tax Taxes i I oJ J 0 I HE j May 20 Eternal 20 Eternal Eternal vigilance vigilance lance lanc plus about gUld gulden n is th the price pric Holland is paying payIng paying pay- pay Ing for her liberty lIbert and t the e preservation preservation tion Uon of ot real neutrality This sum must be obtained In addition ad Uon to the taxes imposed by bv the budget In order that her army of nearly men and her ter Jer small but smart navy natty shall be maintained maintained main main- on on a war footing guarding her approaches by land and sea and ready to r resist violation n of her territory by any of the belligerents It was th the anticipation of violation tion of ot her ner neutrality as one result of ot a great offensive which did not evacuate not not the circulation of ot an alarmist re report report re- re port by Germ Germanys Germany's nys ny's army of of agents here that that was responsible for r the hurried mobilization bt of all of ot I Holland's Hollands forces during the early days of ot April and the resultant widespread bell belief t that the kingdom was wag on the verge of 01 entrance Into the great war Wherever one went one one heard the disturbing report made In Germany and circulated here by Germanys Germany's hirelings hirelings hirelings hire hire- lings that England had demanded from Holland permission to land an expeditionary force on Dutch soil soli This canard is still afloat despite peremptory denial Q of pf its Us truth by Jonkheer Dr J J. J Loudon Loudon Lou- Lou don Hollands Holland's minister er o of foreign affairs at- at fairs fair Dr Loudon Den Denounces Canard Dr Loudon London not not only denounced the report as as as' absolutely baseless but when I he received the correspondent he asserted assert assert- ed that neither Great Britain nor I France whose attitude toward Holland has always been beell cordial and correct I had never directly or indirectly ap apI approached approached ap- ap I his government on the subject sub Nevertheless Germanys Germany's agents here and and they are lesion legion affected affected to re reI regard regard re- re I g gard rd Dr Loudon's London's blunt repudiation of ot otI the rumor as s a a. dictated I ed by diplomatic requirements adding Insult to Injury by spreading broadcast reports that if British or French troops entered Holland a a. a. a German army would be hurried across the border to support the Dutch Dutch This offensive report drew m from Dr Loudon the stirring declaration that Holland determined that her soil should be inviolate would draw the sw sword r a against ain it any any and all Invaders that h her r neutrality neutrality- neutrality would nev never r be of ot ofa ofa ota a doubtful type and that she would exhaust art alt her resources and financial to compel respect for her Sovereignty and nd to jo to prove that she is la worthy pf pt her heT Independence This proud sentiment is dominant throughout the kingdom kingdom even even in ill it pro- pro German Rotterdam and Rotterdam and though the cost of or maintenance of pf this position is staggering the government has the whole people behind it it including the many thousands who are idle as a are are- result re- re sult of or the paralysis of or the nations nation's great shipping trade by the everin- everin creasing severity of the British blockade blockades block block- ades ade Blockade Stills Amsterdam The blockade has Amsterdam Amsterdam Ams Ams- j Ams-j Into a gloomy gloom cit city but I t am informed th that t the situation there is improving improving improving im im- im- im proving as ai the America Holland line has bas decided to keep the NIeuw Amsterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam Amster Amster- dam and other big liners In commission commis commis- sion lIon This This example will be followed by other steamship companies As for the rest of ot Holland melc merchants ants farmers farmers and bankers ers are are enjoying un unprecedented unprecedented un- un prece if ephemeral prosperity The bankers living up to the axiom that must always obtain what i is 3 known as a s Dutchman's Dutchman one per cent that cent that thatis is is sell Bell for tor two gulden what has been purchased for or one one are are making malting extraordinary extraordinary extraordinary extra extra- ordinary profits from exchange paying 4 40 for an English pound as against 76 in New York There is negative consolation however for tor holders of British scrip in the knowledge that the discount rate irate rate of the German Geiman mark and Austrian kroner is much heavier Shrewd financiers such as as' as C C. JVan J J. T Van president of the Great Netherlands Oversea Trust and the Netherlands Lloyd Steamship company and G G. president of the Royal Roy Roy- Royal al Netherlands bank are worried over the outlook if It the war lasts m much ch longer long long- er Mr Van who discussed the situation with the correspondent admitted admitted admitted ad ad- that th the the- cost of ot maintaining armed neutrality Is tremendous I Germany Buying Greedily i The worst Butterer sufferers rr said Mr Van Vani i are persons with fixed salaries or Incomes These are stationary while white I the prices of ot foodstuffs and all other I n necessities of life are soaring loaring sk skyward Ward Our farm farmers rs are aie enjoying enjoying unexampled but I fear transitory prosperity ae af Germany is sending Any price for tor their thel produce x Onry Onry a few v years years ago ago you ou will remember remember remember re re- member Germany rejected x our ur cow COWf because of or alleged foot and disease dis- dis fa ease e our hogs were barred fear tear p pf pt Today our cattle our vegetables and foodstuffs are received with open arms anus at the thi German border r. r In Amsterdam business business business' generally It li quite good O Our r manufacturers arc ar benefiting by the realization on the par part park of that many thing that were formerly made in Germany can be made here and that the workmanship work work- manship Is of ot a high order o I may may interject here that the diamond diamond dia mond industry in Amsterdam Is thrivIng thriving Ing I too too as many Germans are purI purchasing purchasing pur pur- cha chasing ing these gems gems Instead of investing I in war loans against the the day day when the thi great struggle ends as the brilliant will wilt then yield handsome profits Our shipping Interests Mr Var Vai continued especially the companies com com- panics with headquarters in Rotterdam have been badly hit by losses mines and submarines but tout by the ef of the British blockade blockade block block- ade which has become so so rigid no nov noR that our trade with our eastern colonies colonie is seriously threatened Some Protests at Blockade Many of our mer merchants 1 ants are protesting protesting protest protest- ing against this as indefensible bu but war war is war and the concessions grant ed to the Netherlands Oversea trust trus have enabled us to protect to a substantial substantial substantial sub sub- degree the interests o of manof many man of our merchants and Dutch as a whole The trust which IB is under guaranty guarante to the e chief belligerents belligerents and and thi thin guarantee is indorsed by the government govern govern- ment not ment-not not to convey cargoes to enem countries is not a profit making en enterprise as all earnings above 4 pe cent revert to the government f for or th relief of sufferers by the war and fo fc other charitable purposes The mis mission ml mis lion slon of ot the trust is to keep the merchant m marine rine busy and to tec t I and promote Dutch commerce commerce I T hope said Mr Van t I have good news soon as we hope t 1 recover 1 of ot the 1 i i American gold which was recent seized by the British when It was J i 1 transit to Holland I am afraid tha the remainder will becom the subject of ot of prize court court However now that Britain has pro proclaimed proclaimed claimed gold to be absolute contraband contra contraband I band there will be no friction as th N. N NOT O. O T T. will wiil not handle the metal What action has been taken in connection con con- with the interruption of or Hoi Hol Hoiland's Hoiland's lands land's commerce with her colonies colonies' asked Mr Van s eyes eyes twinkled as Ji pc hr said Holland Note Writing Too I I understand that the government following the example set by the greatest greatest great great- est neutral power is writing a note But seriously he added thing could be made much worse for Hollan Hollant by la the contending p powers and it 1 it because we have resolved to our lour privileges that the government through Dr Loud Loudon n. n announced it readiness to- to resist by force of arm armany armany armany any violation of Dutch territory Mr 1 Van admitted that admitted that man many men In In 1 the army in wit the attitude of the business interest Of Holland are tired of of of- the grea grey struggle They have all the trials annone an annone annone none of the thrills thrills of real war The have have seen their trade ruined and thel fortunes swept awa away but they are one with the government I it h hits its determination to uphold H Holland lland Integrity aya ava Va nation When do tip you t think the th war wi wll end I asked Thinks Capital May End WarNot WarNot WarNot War Not while diplomatists and states states- statesmen statesmen men speaking at conferences on behal of the high contending powers cont continue con con- t nue to assert that the enemy nation naton must that annihilated be annihilated that concession and c es are im impossible oss ble hr hi h replied Perhaps ps said sid Mr BIr Van Van- th th war will end nd when the great groat gr at banker banket anc and business directors of ot the world worl meeting in some neutral capital resolve resolve re reo I solve that in order to avert evert world wide ruin and stop merciless slaughter th they the will refuse to provide any more mon money That such a movement is In of ot formation now is generally believer believe here but I think the wish is father o othe of 01 the report in ht this home of ot wild rumors rumon Mr Van by the Wa way tray is fearful fearful fear tear ful that Japan after the war ma may hav have e designs on the Dutch East Indie- Indie Indies and he expressed the hope that th the United States wo would world ld retain the Philippines Philippines Philip Philip- pines as he in common with Dutch edito editors s generally believes that the concession concession concession con con- con con- cession of or Filipino independence woul be merely preliminary to the seizure c o othe the archipelago by Japan But Dut that t tuse tr truse truse use a Is another story which will be bo soon on Its way |