NETHERLANDS-INDIA: Absent Queen, Runaway Battleship

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Plump and pink Queen Wilhelmina, whose nose grew red as she went sleigh-riding in Switzerland last week, pronounced a solemn Speech from the Throne before she left The Hague. Mindful of her Dutch East Indies, in which live 60,000,000 of Her Majesty's 69,000,000 subjects, she gave them a new and more dignified name: Netherlands India.

Names mean less than pay cuts. When Dutch and native sailors in Her Majesty's Navy had their wages docked last month, respectively 14% and 17% an ugly mutiny followed at the principal naval base of the huge Island of Java. Promptly 400 mutineers were thrown into jail, where they still were last week.

Meanwhile, 1.500 miles away on the northern tip of the even huger Island of Sumatra, Her Majesty's biggest battleship, the 16-knot De Zeven Provincien, mounting two 11-in. and four 5.9-in. Krupp guns, cast anchor in Oleleh Harbor. Smacking their lips at the prospect of lavish Dutch planter hospitality. Commander Eikenboom and his ranking officers went amiably ashore.

When they tried shortly after 2 a. m. to return to the De Zeven Provincien she had vanished. In an open boat one of her junior officers rowed ashore, told how the native crew had mutinied, put all junior officers except himself in irons and steamed full speed out into the Indian Ocean.

Knowing well that the De Zeven Provincien could blow him out of water. Commander Eikenboom started chasing her in a small steamer. Sounding a general radio alarm, he roused Vice Admiral Osten and Netherlands India's entire fleet to pursue the De Zeven Provincien. Twenty-four hours later she was located, making a misguided dash for Java's Navy Yard, apparently in an effort to rescue the 400 imprisoned mutineers.

Speeding at 25 knots, two Dutch destroyers and the modern cruiser Java strained to overtake the De Zeven Provincien, though her 12-inch guns could easily pierce their light armor. "We do not intend violence." plaintively radioed the native mutineers in a message addressed to the World Press. "Our object is protest. No one on board has been harmed."

Later the mutineers proposed "conditional surrender." Their terms were relayed to land stations in Netherlands India, thence to Her Majesty's Government 9,000 miles distant at The Hague. Evidently scared, the mutineers asked no more than amnesty, with the implied threat that if this were not granted they might do mischief to the eight Dutch junior officers in their power. Bold as a lion at The Hague, fiery Dutch Defense Minister Deckers held out for unconditional surrender.

"Are you prepared," shouted an Opposition Deputy, "to sacrifice the lives of the junior officers on board the De Zeven Provincien?"

"Any man who is not prepared to die for his country," witheringly retorted Defense Minister Deckers, "is not fit to live!"

Obeying Defense Minister Deckers' orders, Vice Admiral Osten instructed the pursuing Java & destroyers which had been joined by two Dutch submarines to seize the De Zeven Provincien at any cost. Just at dawn seaplanes with bombs in their bellies were hoisted off the Java's decks.

"Heave to!" radioed the Java to the mutineers. "Show a white tarpaulin on the awning deck. Surrender and abandon ship!"

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