HOLLAND AND THE WAR.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15489, 17 January 1916, Page 3

HOLLAND AND THE WAR.

DUTCH VISITORS' VIEWS. . . SYMPATHY WITH THE ALLIES. According to Mr G. W. Pc-utelro'.n and Mr 11. lvoppel, two young Dutch■mca -who are paying a visit to Auckland, the enjoy the warmest sympathies of Holland. They state that since the inauguration of Germany's submarine campaign, .this, feeling; lias-tccn greatly strengthened.

Holland, it was stated, is taking no risks, and although strictly neutral, she Had mobilised 300,000 men, and yvithin twenty-four hours of the outbreak, of war between Austria and Serbia her -frontiers were manned. Since then the number of men .in training Jiad been increased. Tho old law whereby the requirements of tho army were filled; by drawing lots, a system 'which /allowed many eligible men to go free of service, had been abolished. • To-day every available man was in training, although commercial pursuits of pcace were not disorganised. ' Holland's '.war strength would be 1,500,000 men. Every engineering shop having fittings suitable lor the manufacture of munitions was now required 'to produce a certain quantity of munitions periodically, apart from its ordinary business. Queen . Wilhclinina had taken the groatcst interest in the preparations for defence. Tho fact that her husband, Prince Hcinrich, was the Duko of Mecklenburg in Germany was regarded as of i no consequence, as he possessed no power in Holland. Questioned as to tho effects of the British blockade, the visitors said that | the Dutch were not in any way dissatisfied. . At first thcro was considerable trouble, and tho cost of living was greatly iiicreasod. Since then, with {lie consent of. the Allies, contraband material required for tho continuance of Dutch trade was allowed to enter the country. Dutch" merchants could only import material such as rubber, in such quantities as would meet, normal requirements. No excess Avas allowed, and thus supplies for Germany were cut off without Dutch trade to a serious degree. _ The Dutch ships, were guided by British trawlers through the British mine-fields, and everything was done to facilitate shipping, except that only daylight sailings were allowed. With the trade between Holland and Germany being so largely restricted by the British blockade, the visitors said that the Dutch merchants had turned their attention to capturing German oversea trade. Oversea commerce between America . and in the Mediterranean had greatly increased, as indeed had the whole commerce of the country. Shipbuilding was progressing and new ships would shortly be trading between -Holland and America. It was also hoped to make a bid for a share of Australian and New Zealand trade.