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To The Netherlands, which kept out of war with Great Britain during the Boer War (Netherlanders expressed sympathy for the Boers) and stayed neutral in the World War, the prime issue today is peace. Although The Netherlands is sandwiched against aggressive Germany, and Japan is looking hungrily at the potent Netherlands Indies, Her Majesty radiorated confidently: "The peoples of the world are still suffering the consequences of the World War, but I feel convinced that all dispute and trouble can be settled with good will and united effort." But shrewd Queen Wilhelmina, with a good share of her $5,000,000 annual income coming from her eastern lands, trusts little in "good will and united effort" to safeguard them. Recently she saw to it that the native garrisons were increased, that a new 8,000-ton cruiser was laid down for service in the Far East and that the number of formidable Dornier flying boats in The Netherlands Indies Naval Air Service was increased to 42. And last month when the U. S. Department of State reported on U. S. shipments of war materials to foreign nations, the biggest shipments, $4,060,073 in June, proved to be to The Netherlands Indies.
*Italy's King Vittorio Emanuele Ill, 38 years on the throne, is second.