HOLLAND AND THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2275, 8 October 1914, Page 6

HOLLAND AND THE WAR

THE PRICE OP NEUTRALITY

■"Holland-is^; learning -in ..this war time-the,-advantages.and'the disadvantages'of being;a neutral country," says: the "Daily Chronicle's/special correspondent; in Holland. ;"Pernap's the• advan-' ■tages are as embarrassing as' the-disad- ■ vantages. -' With, war all around her, she'; has .become a place']of refuge, a clearing-house for telegrams and Tetters that cannot pass direct from England to Germany, a.common platform on which men?wh:ose ■. countries: are 'in : bitter enmity may .meet on the terms ,of old friendships. ..■.,'■' ■■' ■'■■' "Her neutrality.has jnade the arrival within her southern frontier of German or .Belgian soldiers, flying from their respective enemies..a rather trying form of . enforced hospitality. ■' Already, a 'concen-. --tratioE:Camrj' , at:Alkamaar has its nucleus of 'men from both armies, and there'is .the'constant fear .that this jnvoluntary hospitality -may lead to international /complications.! No wonder that gallant'little Holland is massing he? troops in.Limburg-aud North Brabant to drive back the soldiers who; .in the : heat of flight from battle, seek.to be her guests. ■ But Holland' is paying the ;price. It' is not for' nbthingV.tbat a little nation, •with/millions less people than London, has put over "400,000 men under 'arms."; At all costs she will fight for her independence, and among these 'stolid, silent' people there' isi never amiinnur/at the 'sacrifice. It is not'only the men 'who have been called to the colours and: the families; that' are left without- breadwinners who are paying the price. ~■"; '-.■•'' ~'-...'' • "AH over Ho'lland men and women are being turned out of doors, and seeing their homes pulled down, because -the buildings, set up Sunder the shadow of -forts, interfere-, with the all-round range of-the guns. 'To-day I met a man ; who , had disappeared. from■ Amsterdam ; for a couplq of doys. Ho-told me quitequietly that he had been into the country south of here to see how his old , parents were getting on. They, were farmers..: Suddenly at midnight they aiid; their .'neighbours had notice that ' wjthin an/■hour--their homes ,-must, be pulled down. Imagine whatMt meant, in . tlib rain and darkness,-to pack all the household goods/on carts, to drive horses and cattje along the narrow road that tops the dyke, and to find the best shel- ■ tor that can be had at" a safe distance ~'frpm the-forts. ■■...'• .'.-.y'

':. "It is the price of independence, aii3 Holland does not grudge it. A Hollander who , .-yearsf'iigo went to Switzerland to avoid military service, and had built lip "a good business there, has just returned .voluntarily and cheerfully, to join. '.the. army. There, was a call for volunteers, among those men-who for various, reasons are hot liable for military service.". Vln two. days the-office, where applications were, received'. had to lie closed, so great was th» rush. •That:is the spirit of the people.- Theyknow that independence and, neutrality 'have their - price as -.^Vellvas' tli'eir privilege, and', they are ready, to,pay , it to the ■las,t gasp-arid guilder.'JivVji ■■'■■.