HOLLAND'S PEACE CENTENARY

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1737, 30 April 1913, Page 4

HOLLAND'S PEACE CENTENARY

\ (To tiie Editor.) Sir,—The year in which we are at the present time living must bring back to our memory. the year "13" of last century which brought abo it such great changes in tho fort'uuos and the destinies of the countries ot Europe. The Corsican who had accomplished deeds reminding us of the conquests of the Caesars, had well nigh run his co.irsa, had reached the top of tho - circle by the wheel of fortune, mid the uivavoidablo descent was at' hand. Everv nation in the civilised world had 'felt': tlio heel of the conqueror pressing, mora or ic.ss heavily upon its neck. Kings hail b:en dethroned and humiliated in tlio dust, nationaiifcias wexe wiped out, and it Si.emed as if tho star of victory was ever ■rising for I'ho ue v Caesar who combined ail tho briilhnt gifts of genius making a Tulcr of nieu, in his op.e person . Russia had over withstood die mighty wave that was engulfing the AVestern Continent, and sho too must be taught to obey tho tyrant. At tlio head of an aa'niy of half a million, ho invaded the country of ice and snow, and still success was beckoning to glory. Alas, even Caesar had- to learn the lesson, "Let not ambition thy Teasor. overrule," r,nd Avhca'o mere men were of no account, ■ the unseen powers were already at work to undermine »he strength of the soaring eagle. The fate, met by Napoleon ana his brave army in Russia, is sufficiently recorded to bo known by "Till, and. from ■ that event dated tho downfall of tho solfmado monaivh. The, disastrous .retreat oyer the Beresiua, where thousands upon thousands of the flowvr of the' army found a!grave, was soon followed by the defeat at Leipzig ou October 18, 1813, and the allied forces of Russians and Prussians entered Fnnce. Napoleon had to abdicate and was se.it to Elba, and Louis XA T III of Bourixju took possession of the throne of his ancestors.

' jFor Holland tho daw.i of liberty onco lnoro promised the-.risijg of tho sun of jindepeiiderico and prosperity. Tho cry ••"Libert®; Egali'te,' and Fraternite" issued ifo'rth .in »he days of the French Revolution, had been, lmrled by a faction of the people in Holland as a welcome device lor happiness and contentment. Tho Stadhoiuler, William V, lnul to tako refuge ill Eir 0 'lai(l (1795), tho native country of his mother, Princess Anna, eldest daughter of King. Goorge H and an alliance, was entered upiin between the Dutch "Patriots," the jnamo of that faction opposed to" the Prince of. Orange, and. the French people. It was rot long Wore the former had cause to regret their ill-advised actions. A lime of oppression and extortion followed, ending in ignominous annihilation k.s an independent nation, 1810. Was it wonder that .tho news of the reverses in Russia was. received with joy, though not a few had to mourn their beloved ones, perished in that enterprise, and brought back hope to tho hearts, faint with despair? The defeat of -Napoleon at Leipzig caused the ilame of rebellion, whoso embers had long been glo.ving, to burst forth with teriblo violence, and in Amsterdam the sign was given on November 15, 18i3, and immediately responded to by the wtolo nation. Everyone donned tlio beloved, so long discarded, colcurs of tho "Orange," jncl tho gazo was fixed towards the British shores from where saltation in the person of the Princo of Orango ivas expected to return to his people that had so ungratefully ■abjured him. At.the first call he was ready to corno back to his own to be again their leader and protector, even as his ancestors had. beea in tho days of yore. Oil November 30, in the sanut year, 'the I-i'ilico la.uLxl at Schevouing and was conveyed to Tlio llagau amidst indescribable enthusiasm and frintic display of attachment and love. So the days of bondage were past, and Holland onco more took !'or place among 1 lie nations. ' A century of peaco and prosperity has followed upm thow storms, and it is tho .intention of the people in Holland to celebrate the centenary of the memorable events in a. way worthy of an industrious r.iid highly cultured nition, inhabiting tho lowlands wrested from the sea. Every pi'ovnrte, every town, ovc-ry village is endeavouring to make preparations vicing witlucnei) other in attractiveness. Tho Piilaavof Peace, built iu The Hague, and

u'liich is tins to the goiwrusiiy of Andrew Ciiriiegic, where in future tlio" quarrelH of tlio nations will be settled by arbitration instead of by sanguinary battles, and as a.ll civilis-jd people hope, will abolish war completely, js to bo inaugurated in tho tioirso of this year, and most of the crowned heads and other rulers of the civilised wo:-ld, or their representatives, aro expected to witness the mrooiiy. Tlio Palace is a work of architectural beauty, (ind contains ■..'ontrilnitions from all the nations of the em'tlr showing the different arts and industries llistorical;processions, exhib'tions of all kinds will be tlio order of (iio day, and for Australians kemewovd bound it will bo worth while to moko tlio acquaint I'ice of a country that lias to record ono of tlio most .interesting histories of 'ho pftst. A committee has been formed in 3 folio nil, baring its central officer in The Hague, whoso object is to facilitate the course of strangers mm j visitors and to judicially £uulc them so that they mny spend their money and tim* to tho utmost advantage. J'ull information and particulars can be obtained fr.) u—Your.-, etc.,' ANNA SUIMK-NN, Hppi'CscnttiU»e of the Netherlands Uu*on for AuJitrala^iii Kilcy Koatl, Clareroout, .AVestem Australia, '