PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2333, 15 December 1914, Page 6

PATRIOTIC FUNDS

_ 9 PRIME MINISTER'S LIST Further contributions sent to the Prime Minister are: — £ a. d. Through Town Clerk, Mataura Go 4 6 Waikanae Patriotic Fund (for Belgian Relief Fund) 3 10 0 Wyndhum Patriotic Fund, Wyudhara (2nd instalment) 152 1 8 DISTRESS RELIEF FUND FOR THE POOR OF GREAT BRITAIN. IRELAND, AND BELGIUM. The Wellington Committee of tho Poor of Great Britain and Ireland • and Belgium Relief Fund acknowledges receipt of the following donations to the Fund:— £ s. d. Previously acknowledged 17,013 1 8 Per Mrs J. P. Luke, Mayoress— Miss Borchart 2 2 0 Mrs. H. J. Underwood 5 0 0 Mrs. M. E. Jeffreys ... 0 5 0 Proceeds entertainment organised by Young Ladies of Johnsouville ...'.....■....' 7 15 6 F. Cordukes, Levin (proceeds sale of produce)... 3 11 0 "Anonymous" (proceeds sale of sheep) .75 0 "Wandering' Musicians," Caledonian Hotel ....' 4 18 "J. 8." ....„ 220 £17,045 10 The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) acknowledges the sum of £29 Is. Id. in thti following amounts as further donations to the Belgian Children's Relief Fund: —Cake and Strawberry Fair at' Miss Francis's School, £18 10s. 7d.; Church of Christ, Riddiford Street, £10; Miss C. Pickering, 10s. 6d. "THE DOMINION" LISTS. BELGIAN RELIEF FUND. Contributions 'to the, fund',.for the. relief of the Belgians in,distress will subsequently be.. ; forwarded .to the authorities in Belgium for distribution. "."' ""■'■.' . . s. d. Amount! previously acknowledged 1 '.....' 7976 13 3 Dr. Ewart ..... 1010 0 Total ..'.■ 7987 3 3 HOLLAND AND THE WAR GROWING FEAR OF GERMANY. Notwithstanding tlie fact that the Dutch Press is overwhelmed with Gei", man official, semi-official, and ordinary newsin order to produco a bias in favour of Germany, the Dut&i people keep thoir heads, and their opinions have

uot been at all modified by the Teutonic Press campaign. There aro•'; in. Berlin how,' in addition to the famous Wolff's Agency, the Corresppndcnz Norden, whose news is no longer accepted by the Norwegian Press; the Bureau. ■Weinzichr, the office of the. Deutsche Wc'rkbund, acting in co-operation-' with a promiment. member of the" Reichstag; the' Deutsche Handelshaimher, the Bureaus / Herold, Berolina, etc. 'All those agencies spread their "true" war and other news broadcast among the neutral States, sparing no money for telegraphic expenses. The Dutcli newspapers when publishing', articles from | those sources always add a note statins that tlicy aro "from ; German source," "under reserve," or "no confirmation to hand from other source,", etc. : In spite of all those German efforts (says, the "Morning Post'") dislike of Germany is increasing in Holland.. For one thing, Dutch-sympathies are turning to Belgium, a' weak State whose neutrality has been violated, and- these feelings-are particularly warm at this time'when there are about, one million fugitives within tho Dutch boundaries. Moreover, Germany is feared in l Holland. Nearly everyone .understands that should the German Empire win the war Holland would ! lose its, independence and perhaps. become the "Ober-Rheinprovinz." That,-the' Dutch people do not like Germany, may be gauged by the fact that an increasing number of inhabitants refuse to buy in shops and stores' articles and goods "made in Germany." Further, the suggestion of the "Deutsche Tageszeitung" that the ' Dutch -should participate in-the German war loan has not quickened .Dutch friendship for Germany. Since the beginning of the war the"'value'-of Dutch money has increased, and. the "Deutsche Tageszeitung" considers it advisable to decrease the exchange rate of Dutch money in tho interests of Germany. This' the paper admits, will not.be possible by selling goods on a largo'scale from Germany to Holland, as there is not a, large demand for German wares, nor by selling German bonds .to the Netherlands, as all-the international Ex-

changes have been closed, and so the German orgairfalls back on the sale of German Government stock to Holland, or, in other words,-a participation of Holland on. a" somewhat large scale in the German war loan. • It is evident indeed that should Holland, in spite of the statesmanlike efforts .pf the Dutch Ministers 1111. Cort van der -Linden," Loudon, and Treub, bo-compelled to' abandon her neutrality, she will certainly never go to.war with Great Britain! .The necessity for preserving her colonies would alone save herefrom such a blunder. And, moreover, one should not forget that Holland-is a democratic country.. Would it be possible for the Government of i a democratic State to wage war in co-operation with a Power for wbich.no sympathy'is felt by the large majority of the Dutch people? Everyone here is fully aware that Ger. trianv has been the country .which obliged the other nations■)• to extend their military preparations.; For so small a country as the Netherlands, ;the armaments during the last ten years have increased'at an alarming rate, and' the recent- mobilisation has considerably augmented the national expenditure. Twice a credit of 50 million guilders has been voted by the. States General, and it is beleivcd that within a short time the Government will "introduce a Bill for the issue of a loan of 250,000,000 guilders, in. which every subject possessing more than Fl. 10,000 will be . obliged to participate with 4 per cent, of his capital. ■'•-.•