HOLLAND'S POSITION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16203, 13 April 1916, Page 6

HOLLAND'S POSITION.

DOES NOT WANT WAR.

■VALUE • OF' COLONIAL TROOPS.

"Holland does not want to fight, but if forced to do so will go to war and see the whole thing through," said Captain Klaaen, of the Dutch steamer Barentz, which arrived at Sydney recently. "The whole of the people are anti-German," he continued, "and always have been, but as to which side the nation will fight for I cannot say. It is sufficient to know that the Dutch are viewing very favourably the doings of the allies, and that must cany a iot of weight in the right direction when the time comes for Holland to defend itself. When the war commenced we had an army of a little more than 100,000 men, but to-day it stands at over 500,000. That move was not mado until the allies had been tighting for a year, and tho treatment of neutrals at the hands of Germany was such that in order to be able to resist* invasion it was apparent that evtvv fit man would have to shoulder a gun. With our army fully trained, Germany cat:not refuse to listen to Holland's protest oer the recent events, such as the sinking of two Dutch liners, an act which [.lit the finishing touch on the unpopular feeling towards tho enemy of the uilios, No matter what happens now, 1 remarked the mariner, "it is attributed •' the Germans, a position that has been brought about through their repeated breaches of faith."

Captain Klasen is confident that the 250, Dutch soldiers belonging to the East Indies would give a great account of themselves if opposed to the best of tin- European armies. "In a charge," he vs, they would probably bo tinmalleable, for they have no regard for lifs. They don't "like fighting with a rifle, but with a sword or knife are very formidable. If the day should come for Holland to call up tho men from her colonies, it will be a very pleasant work for me to transmit the mer from the P- Kh East Indies to their motherland."