4 June
In Batavia today in the Volksraad, representatives demanded a vote should be held on whether the Confederation Plan should be a policy the East Indies can decide for themselves. As this demand was released in a press conference, reports had already been received of agitation in several larger towns in Java. Meanwhile in Palembang, Sumatra independence movements have marched through the city peacefully. In Bengkulu, exiled former leader of the Partindo independence movement Soekarno, addressed a crowd advocating an uprising across Sumatra to severe “Indonesia from the Dutch imperialist bondage.”
6 June
Discussions in the Higher Chamber, the Eerste Kamer, have been going on now for five days and political commentators have noted that the discussions have bene more pessimistic given the reactions in Belgium and the visible politics of the left in recent weeks to stop the plan. Even so, political commentators have noted that in large parts of the country opinion among the people is fairly neutral and only in Zeeland and North Brabant are feelings particularly strong either way. News of stirrings in independence movements in the East Indies has also raised tensions within the government. Businessmen and traders have noted the uncertainty is causing economic damage.
7 June
Confederation Plan vote in Eerste Kamer. After a brief discussion it was decided to get on with the vote to avoid prolonging uncertainty any further.
The votes were:
For: 71
Against: 79
It is thought this vote will cause the government to abandon the plan, but it’s possible that given the mandate from the Tweede Kamer that another vote may be sought.
8 June
King Alexander of Orange in Kinshasa makes a neutral statement to the press on the Berg Plan. It is thought he supports the plan as do a third of the government, but several ministers, including the powerful Economics Minister believe it will harm economic growth and indeed shares in Union Minière du Haut-Katanga have already fallen in value. The King concluded his statement by saying that a national vote for the Kingdom of Kongo may not be necessary given the turn of events in the Netherlands.
Privately, Alexander fears the growth of a home grown independence movement seizing the opportunity to grow and threaten his rule.
9 June
The government has still not decided whether to press ahead with another vote. The Prime Minister has not made any statement despite pressure to do so.
In a generously but tastefully adorned room in Noordeinde Palace sat the Queen. Normally she was only in residence here during the winter and the staff had only just had enough time to get the room fit for her critical eye. The valet quietly knocked, “Crown Prince William has arrived Madam.”
In walked the Prince, dressed in a fashionable suit tailored for him in Antwerp and his hair was dyed to hide some of grey hairs now making their appearance. The Queen always disliked his dress sense; she felt it made him look like a diamond merchant. The Prince sat down on the plush seat and sank into the thick cushion. He remembered once playing with his tin soldiers on the floor of this room one sunny December morning when he was eight or nine. They exchanged greeting and small chat as the butler poured the coffee. Good old Prins had faithfully served the family for years and indeed had been present when the Prince was a boy. Finally he shuffled out of the room.
“William why have you summoned me here? Surely we could have met in the Huis ten Bosch?”
“Mother, there are reporters everywhere and these days any Royal meeting generates at least half a page of nonsense in print. No-one expects you to be here as everyone knows this is your winter residence.”
The Queen felt sometimes William was too secretive and had irrational fears. “William, you worry too much.”
William had a lot to get off his chest and he felt as though he had a lot to worry about; the future of his country and of his dynasty and that of the Family of Orange. “You have given me quite enough to worry about lately.”
The Queen waved her hand, “Cornelius is a cautious man, he says another six months but I say far longer than that.”
William shook his head, “No mother, it’s not your only your health but this misplaced emphasis on this crazy Confederation idea.”
There was a pause; the Queen had indeed seen this as the pinnacle of her reign, the desire to place the tight bonds within the family within the territories they ruled. “You back the idea too William, you know it’s the right thing for the future of all the United Kingdoms. To be united.”
“Yes, but you have taken this to extremes.”
“There is much good in van der Berg’s plan. It is democratic, would not any unfit member of our family, God forbid, be excluded from power? Would you not sit on a democratic council as its wise leader? Would not the Indies gain their own monarch to represent them? Is not all this fair?”
“Yes, it’s fair but a lot of people don’t trust the motives and they don’t like the idea of all power in the hands of one family nor they currency in the hands of one Treasury no matter how prosperous they may or may not become.”
“What are you saying?” The Queen’s voice was hard, she felt William was prevaricating in the face of a few protests from the left. Perhaps his social conscience.
“I’m saying mother, you have taken this too far and the effects are too severe,” the Queen flicked her wrist dismissively, “you must listen, you’ve alienated the Walloons, you’ve stoked bipartisanship the likes we’ve never had before for decades, you’ve stirred up the East Indies where the independence movement has found it voice and you damn well near ruined me too!” His coffee cup clattered against the elm tabletop.
“I? I have done nothing, merely given support to the government and van der Berg. If only others had more ambition and backbone. I expected more of you William. And what’s this about this ruining you?”
William was surprised by his mother’s lack of financial acumen at a time like this. “Surely you have read the financial reports mother? The share prices have fallen, there have been speculations, German and British bankers laughing all the way to the bank. My shares have lost a third of their value, Pieter tells me the family stocks have been affected. Even the Kongo income. You need to wake up to the dangers of pursuing this any further.”
The Queen shook her head; she could scarcely believe how the Belgian communists and ungrateful Walloons and a few Indian princes and failed teachers and fat greedy Germans could have conspired to bring her grandest ambitions to a halt. She shook her head, “No. No. I don’t think it is as bad as you say. We shall prevail, your department will soon smash any public support for the Communists and we can reinvest, I have some financial power still, the markets in The Hague listen to what I do. They will follow us.”
“They may but millions won’t. You have to see reason and stop all this before things get out of control. I’ve had worrying reports from Batavia, Alexander is fighting a powerful alliance of businessmen. It’s bad enough you’ve made me use the QIS for unconstitutional ends but you’ve made Juliaana twist that pompous old man Pierlot around her little finger.”
“How did you know about this,” the words hissed from the Queen’s lips, “did she tell you about this? It was in confidence.”
William coolly sipped his coffee, “No mother, she did not break her confidences with you. She never has.”
He put the coffee cup down, the Queen snatched her fan and began fanning herself vigorously. “Then how do you know about this?”
“I am head of the QIS, it’s my job to know things.”
The penny soon dropped, someone had been listening to her telephone calls. “So someone at the exchange has long ears. Thank God it was the QIS and only you know about this.”
“No it wasn’t an informer mother. It was… the British use the expression ‘tapping’ I think. Yes, a tap of the telephone at the exchange. A clever piece of electrics so you can record the conversations.”
“Who has done this?”
“We have.” The Queen realised the truth, the QIS was listening to her telephones. But why? Was it one of the staff? Were they plotting a communist plot against her? “Why has this been done William? Be truthful to me. Who is suspect within the household?”
William had carefully ordered surveillance of all the telephone lines into the three Palaces years ago. He knew the truth would either kill his mother or result in his disinheritance. Of course, he had the evidence of her ordering him to penetrate the anti-Confederation Walloon political parties, launching a propaganda campaign and channelling money to the Flemish National Union in various copies in various safe boxes. Just in case. He crossed his arms, “I gave the order to have all the lines in the Palaces kept under surveillance because I felt it was the wisest method to keep you safe. Don’t think there is no danger even here.”
The Queen felt weary, the stress was taking its toll of her body even her mind was still sharp. “What can we do?”
“William got up and paced about. The Confederation Plan has elements people like and aspects of it could be of great benefit. When I was little and didn’t like taking my medicine my nanny used to say it was easier in small doses.”
“Not my philosophy I can assure you.”
“No, but not everyone shares your philosophy. But if we give them the bits they like then one day they might take another spoonful, maybe another. And then one day we find we have achieved the same end with much less fuss.”
The Queen felt William was being too smart for his own good. “And how can you achieve this when everyone, as you say, hates the idea and when everyone is hurling themselves at the Palace gates demanding liberty?”
William returned from the window and sat down. “Easy. Rebrand and turn on the charm.”
The Queen was puzzled, why the hell did he have to show he was well educated in modern words all the time? “Rebrand?”
“Yes mother. Companies do it all the time, something stop selling so they give it a new box and a new name and it flies off the shelf. The names van der Berg and Confederation Plan stink. So get rid of them. Send the old fool off to some provincial university or Nieuw Guinea or something. Get some civil service nonentity to rewrite the Berg Plan in different words, leave out the bits they don’t like.”
The Queen shook her head, “You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all the people all of the time. They would be suspicious.”
“Ah, but here is the masterstroke. You use your charm on Loeder to tell him the plan is dead, that he has listened to the people and has decided to remove all the bits they don’t like. Then we go on the charm offensive. We shift our propaganda to the Bill of Rights, that little document is a gem for it takes the sting out of the independence movement. We swamp the East Indies, Suriname and the Kongo with pro-Bill propaganda. God knows what has worked in the East Indies would work there too. We know this is what the Provinces really need. Bind every man and woman with the belief they are equal to any Dutch man or woman with equal rights and make sure they have a fair vote and they won’t notice a King or Prince above them. The current plan fails because the role of the House of Orange is too visible. Your greatest triumphs have been the products of silent work, the intervention in Bolivia, supplies of equipment to combat El Dettirir in Bahrat. Not when you’ve wrapped yourself in the flag and taken to a soapbox.”
The Queen sighed, “Perhaps William.”
“You know I am right.”
“Perhaps. I must think on it. I'm tired. I must rest. We will talk again before you leave.”
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Quoted
Lodewyk van der Berg, former prime minister and leader of the Catholic Rooms-Katholieke Volkspartij today presented a bold report to the Cabinet
Thursday, April 25th 2024, 10:23pm
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