INACCURATE ARTICLE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 215, 11 September 1931, Page 3

INACCURATE ARTICLE.

IN THE SCHOOL JOUBHAI*

DUTCHMAN" AGAIN" PROTESTS,

Strong exception was taken by Mr. E. W. F. B. L. Hendricks to tie first instalment of an article on "The Quaint Land of Holland," thav appeared in the "School Journal." Mr. Hendricks now writes: "Notwithstanding that I have pointed out all the nonsense and mistakes in the first article the journal has published the rest of this splendid etory. I do not like to follow up this second part in the same way as I did the first, but I must draw attention to one serious mistake. On page 219 of the August issue Mr. (or perhaps more correct to say Master?) Kirk is telling the school children of claeses 4 and" 5, 'that England and Holland were for a time united under one ruler, when William of Orange reigned in England as William lII.' And that 'after; that period Holland was a republic, but became a kingdom again in 1778 and has remained so ever since.' "England and Holland have never been united under one ruler.. .The exact situation was that the affairs, of the two countries remained separated, and only an offensive and defensive treaty was made between them. William. remained 'Stadhouder' of the Dutch Republic and aimed at becoming the leader of Europe against Loiiis. XIV., King of. France. I would advise Mr. Kirk to study the masterpiece of the great English historian, Macaulay, and gain some sound knowledge about this important period of England's history. "Holland was always a republic until 1806, when it was for the first time made a kingdom by Napoleon 1., who made his brother Louie (Lodewijk) Napoleon, King of Holland. This lasted until 1810, when Holland lost its independence and was annexed to. France. After Napoleon I. was defeated in the Battle of Waterloo (1S15), the Prince of Orange (son of the former Stadhouder William V.), who had returned to Holland in 1813 and since then reigned as 'Souvereine Voret,' declared himself king of the Netherlands. Mr. Kirk's statement is totally wrong. "Mr. Kirk is telling something about the 'Kermesee.' I like to tell him that 'Kermesse' is a French word, the Dutch word is 'Kermis.' Mr. Kirk is speaking about 'pooftjes,' which is nonsense; the proper Dutch is 'poffertjes.' "I think this will be enough to prove the value of the knowledge (?) given to the New Zealand children in the school journal. This journal is one of the aids and appliances for the education provided for by the Government. I believe it would, be wieer to pay attention to this than to fight about the costs of education."