WAR THAT HAS LASTED OVER THIRTY YEARS.

Golden Bay Argus, Volume X, Issue 87, 31 January 1907, Page 2

WAR THAT HAS LASTED OVER THIRTY YEARS.

p —❖ — It may not he generally known flhat the little kingdom of Holland as still engaged in a war which was vbegun 32 years ago. In 1873 Holjland declared war against the Sultan of Achin. The steps leading up to 'their action are of considerable interest. For five years during the Napoleonic wars, from 1811, a good portion of Insulinde came under British 'rule. In 1816, because say some, England has not properly realized its jvalue, it has given back to the Netherlands, with a provision, however,

in respect to Sumatra, ratified by

subsequent treaties _ and conventions, ■open and secret, that the Dutch were

not to cross the borders of the in'dependent territories in the far north corner of the island. But for this explicit provision, Achin, no doubt, would have fallen to the Dutch hall' a century earlier. It is easier to steal a country than a mill, as Max Havelaas said of this very matter. On the other hand England's care

for the independence of the Achinese

was not disinterested. The provision . embodying it, however, was removed in tho convention of 1871, and within a few months Holland and Achin were at loggerheads, and have been ever since. • The provocations to war alleged by the Dutch were the depredations of the Achin pirates. It is not for us to decide the pretext. When in 1872, .matters came to a crisis between the Sultan and the Netherlands, offers

were made to the latter by Eng-

lish Government to mediate with a l view to getting Achin to agree to the Dutch terms. It has been stated recently that a peaceful settlement I thus in sight was thwarted by the I German Government, who represented I I that such British interference might J) justify intervention on the part of other Powers, which Germany could inot allow. By those who believe that j pan-Germanism is an immine,.. > uan’ger to England this is added to the •proof of its sinister designs, i Bo that as it may, the wisdom of the expedition of 1873 has been doubted by, many people in Holland itself ; but it was easy for them to be knowing after the event, lor ths conquest of Achin has been notoriously an. unfortunate enterprise for ' the Dktch. Entered upon with a light heart, it was not followed up with vigour, and though the Sultanate fell in 1874, the country has never really been brought under subjection. The climate in Sumatra is most unhealthy for Europeans. Lying under tho equator, the fierce rays of a blistering sun are only‘made more distressing by the frequent torrential rains. The interior of the country, especially in Achin, is a tropical district. Here the luxuriance of East Indian vegetation runs riot in a labyrinth of morasses and There are forts throughout the Acliinese territory, and for the purpose of warfare the Achinese have divided their Sultanate into small States. r northern part of Sumatra is. probably the worst in the world for a foreign army to invade. It is full of pitfalls and there are tremendous river beds. Only tho native knows the country, and it is small wonder tho Dutch have been unsuccessful, and have made little headway in their campaign. Following 1 a costly attack on tnc town of Achin in. April, 18<3, the Dutch troops made another attempt in June, tho same year, and after numerous sanguinary attacks, in which they lost heavily, they succeeded in capturing the Grand Mosque and the citadel. Subsequently they reduced the whole town. In December 1873, an expedition was sent out from Holland to complete the work of subjection. For five years a constant war was continued, at the, end of which time tho natives had retired from the coast towns. General Karel jvan der Heyden was in command, and by the sternest measures he apparently had accomplished the impossible. .... ' • The coast was cleared, of- Aclnnosa ■not a native appeared to disturb the. jpeaceXullness of the towns now in | possession of the Dutch, consequently ! there was great joy in Holland. The •general was re-called, feted, and compelled to listen to the most complimentary speeches. Then, considering I'the time was ripe, a civil Governor i was sent out to .take over tho government of Sumatra, and military irule was withdrawn. COST HOLLAND £20,000,000. But the Dutch reckoned without their host. The Achines® were only I preparing for another conflict. The Sultan was by no means subdued. Seeing stem military power abandoned, the.artless Achinese mind interjjretcd tho charge as a sign of weakness, and one fine day a large party of “conquered” Achinese ambushed and massacred a Dutch command ■ which had carelessly wandered into 1 the interior. More troops were sent out from tn® I Netherlands. Every week the Dutch Batavian steamship takes out from 50 to 60 recruits for the Achinese War, and they now have a paying in Holland that “an Achin soldier never comes back.*' While this is not striotr--3y true, it is a fair commentary on tthe state of affairs. The Dutch colon--I*l records show that during the last 30 years from 10,000 to 12,000 soldiers and native allies have lost thoir lives either in battle or from disease. itJp to the present the conflict h»9 cost Holland about £20,000,000. i GENERALS DEFEATED AND HUMILIATED. 1 Nearly every general sent ou« to taka command returns to Europe defeated and humiliated. Holland is compelled to keep in her East Indian possessions an army of about 40,000 men. Most of these are mercenaries, and but for the trouble in Achin half of tho force would be ample for keeping order. The Achinese are good fighters, and being Moslems, are fearless in battle. Death under these circumstances they are told is but a translation from this world into Paradise. Naturally they! are fanatics, and carry on a guerilla warfare. Aside from these secret attacks, the Achinese fight i fairly, and when they capture Dutch soldiers treat them humanly and usually send them back to their own camp under escort. j A WAR OF EXTERMINATION. Still tfcrc war continues. The Achiwsw *re ©o nearer subjugation than

they were thirty years ago. 'ln addition to the army constantly kept in the Dutch East Indies, the Netherlands Government maintains a special fleet of warships to patrol the Achin coasts. Piracy has, indeed, been relegated by the Achinese to the limbo of lost arts, but independence is still theirs. The war in Achin is no longer a war of conquest ; it is a war of extermination.

For 140 years the Portuguese struggled to overthrow the Sultan of Achin, but those were the days of splendour and power of the Sultanate. The Sultan carried the war into Malacca, and although he accompanied an armada of 500 ships, carrying 60,000 warriors, to the neighbouring state, the Dons were able to defeat the Moslem chieftain in Malacca. In his own strongholds in Achin they were not so successful, and retired after-an intermittent warfare lasting close on a cetntury. In the days of its foagnificence the Court of Achin was one of the most opulent and splendid in the gorgeous East. For wealth, the Sultan had not only as much gold as a monarch could desire, but more than 900 elephants which were kept only for show on ceremonial occasions. The King of Siam might have been proud to call the Sulltan of Achin cousin ; the greatest rajah of India could not marshal so many stately pachyderms bedecked with the rarest of costly fabrics and glittering with golden embroideries. The last of the Portuguese had departed 100 years before the advance party of the Dutch made its appearance. —“Weekly Budget.. ’