ATTITUDES TOWARD US, INDONESIA, EDC, BELGIUM, SCANDINAVIA/LABOR MATTERS.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00423R001300930001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 30, 1998
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: February 4, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 1999/09/10 : q RDP83-00423R001300930001-4
COUNTRY: The Netherlands/Belgium/Scandinavia CIA
SUBJECT: Attitudes toward US, Indonesia, EDC, DATE
Belgium, Scandinavia/Labor Matters.
PLACE ACQ:
DATE ACQ: Jun 52 Dec 53
DATE OF INFO: Dec 53
to or receipt ized person i by law. The
US code, as amended. Its ve tion of its contents
nt contains information affecting t e nationa defe
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the US, wi of Title 18, Sectio , o the
ON is supplied for the
Source or Clarifying Statement:
1. I was deeply impressed by the Dutch. They and the Scandinavians
are doing the most for themselves, economically, to recover from
the setbacks of World War II. Anti-US sentiment, which is quite
articulate in Western Europe, is almost non-existent in the Nether-
lands, and I encountered no evidences of bitterness toward the US
on any score.
2. Politically, one senses a feeling of defeatism among the better
educated classes. They have the helpless feeling of being caught
between two great giants, unable to get out, and fearful that if.
either makes a serious mistake the Netherlands will wind up punch-
drunk.
3. Indonesia is a tender subject with the Dutch. They blame the pre-
sent state of affairs on the Japanese and resent bitterly that the
tie with its former colony has been broken. Indonesia was felt to
be an intimate, almost personalized phase of Dutch life and to a
man, all Dutchmen want to resume that tie in one fashion or another,
and to play a part in helping Indonesia out of the mess it is pre-
sently in.
4. I was curious to know how the people felt about EDC. After conversa-
tions with many individuals in all walks of life I concluded that
they are all for it, in a helpless sort of a way. Actually, they
would like to stay out of it if they could, but the world situation
being as it is, they feel the EDC is a necessary expedient, and as
such they support it.
5. On the matter of having to cooperate with the Belgians, however, the
Dutch have quite pronounced feelings. I never met a Dutchman who liked
Belgium or Belgians, and who didn't thinkthat BENELUX was a farce in
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its ineffectiveness. Dutchmen openly dislike Belgium on
every conceivable score. It is real, visible and audible
antagonism. They hate the Belgians for what they have-
their property, their big cars, their everything.
6. Toward Scandinavia their attitudes are just the opposite.
They like the people, admire them for their industry and are
enthused. in their efforts to strengthen ties with them.
LABOR MATTERS
7. Labor conditions are uncommonly stable in the Netherlands.
In the year and a half that I was -%b e labor unrest was
negligible. There was one slowdown by streetcar conductors.
I don't recall any others. The Dutch don't seem to strike.
8. In my opinion, the real poser in ;: labor matters is what
the Dutch will do with the large unemployed army of talented and
skilled individuals over the age of 40. The Dutch have a pre-
judice against hiring persons over 40, despite their capabili-
ties, and once unemployed, these people find it almost hopeless
to get another job. This I regard as the saddest part of an
otherwise healthy economy. This group has the potential of
becoming a reall and serious element of dissent.
Approved For Release 1999/09/10 : CIA-RDP83-00423R001300930001-4