Word: colijn
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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Last week 69-year-old Jonkheer Dirk Jan de Geer, leader of The Netherlands' Christian Historical Party, talked like a Dutch uncle to his parliamentary colleagues. They had just turned in a vote of no confidence in old Dr. Hendrikus Colijn, thereby throwing out a Ministry that had lasted two days. Basic issue was unemployment relief: Catholics and Socialists wanted to know why, if the Government could spend $165,000,000 on three new cruisers, it could not spend $17,000,000 on Holland's 350,000 unemployed...
Catholics and Socialists could combine to put conservative Dr. Colijn out, but neither was strong enough to put anyone else in. Traditional parliamentary behavior for such conservatives as Jonkheer de Geer would have been to watch Catholic and Socialist leaders flounder through the attempt, gleefully call attention to each failure, assuming that the increasing confusion would in the long run mean more votes for the Christian Historical Party. Instead, Jonkheer de Geer, who voted against the motion of no confidence, was asked by Queen Wilhelmina to form a Cabinet. Thin, mustached, respected, severe, a shade less conservative than Dr. Colijn...
...more than a century of Dutch constitutional government there have been only 33 Cabinets. No. 1 Dutch Cabinet maker is old Dr. Hendrikus Colijn. Last week the onetime Dutch "strong man" was sadly planning a round-the-world trip to forget that the last of his five had set the all-time Dutch low by lasting exactly two days and seven hours. Last June Calvinist Dr. Colijn was compelled to resign when his old-fashioned financial and social policies split the coalition between his Anti-Revolutionary Party and the progressive Catholics. After a month of Cabinet stasis Queen Wilhelmina...
...defeat of Dr. Colijn's hoary oldsters was a victory for democratic theory which asserts that governments should represent majority opinion. Unfortunately the Dutch Parliament is so split among minor parties that not one of them can command a sure majority. Last week Dr. D. J. de Geer, leader of the Christian Historical Party, smaller but a shade less conservative than the Anti-Revolutionaries, formed a new Cabinet. Now that they are rid of stiff-necked Dr. Colijn, the Socialists and Catholics may well be ready to support a compromise policy...
...cooperate and an alliance between Anti-Revolutionaries and Socialists was unthinkable. After three tries he gave up. The Queen asked conservative Catholic Dr. Dionysius A. P. N. Koolen to see what he could do, but even his own party was lukewarm in its support. Last week it was Dr. Colijn's turn again, and he finally produced a Cabinet of hoary oldsters, former Cabinet members and long-pensioned colonial officials. The new Government represents but a small section of Parliament and could be overthrown any time the Socialists and Catholics vote together against it. After being without a Cabinet...