Between the devil and the deep blue sea - University of Canterbury

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here. 25 As a result, the Dutch were better infonned than the citizens of the combatant
nations because they could receive and print infonnation from both warring parties and
show news clips from the respective frontlines in movie theatres. 26 That other states
believed such freedom to publish was damaging can be seen from the large number of
articles they blacked-out when copies of Dutch newspapers arrived in Britain, Belgium,
France and Gennany.27 In 1914, the Dutch Minister in Brussels even requested that his
govemment enforce a ban on the export of the Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant (New
Rotterdam Newspaper, NRC) to Belgium as it was causing anger among Belgians for its
supposedly pro-Gennan attitudes. 28
Nevertheless, Dutchjoumalists did not have complete freedom and were subject to
censorship even before they could commit their stories and pictures to print. For example,
in 1914, Het Leven Gei'llustreerd (Life Illustrated) wamed its readers (including a large
number of Belgians) that it had no choice but to publish more material from the Gennan
than the Allied side of the war, because the Allies would not allow foreign press agents
close enough to their battlefronts?9 Belligerents also released atiicles to Dutch newspapers
in an attempt to get greater coverage of their viewpoint. The combatant govermnents placed
considerable importance on ensuring that Netherlanders remained positive towards them,
under the impression that favourable public opinion was essential in case the neutral joined
the conflict on their side. To this end, both Britain and Germany pursued an active
propaganda policy in the Netherlands, publishing Dutch language magazines, releasing
25 See: Chapter 8, pp. 283 - 290, for more about censorship in the Netherlands during the Great War.
26 I. Blom, "Film in de Eerste Wereldoorlog in Nederland" [Film in the First World War in the Netherlands] in Sjoerd
Brouwer (ed.), November 1918. Einde van een oorlog. Einde van een tijdperk. (Studium Generale Reeks 9409)
Utrecht: Bureau Studium Centrale, Universiteit Utrecht, 1994, p. 119.
27 Dutch diplomat in Brussels, H. van Weerde, to Minister of Foreign Affairs, 29 August 1914, in Smit (ed.),
Bescheidell betrefJellde de bllitenlandsche politiek van Nederland 1848 - 1919. Derde Periode 1899 - 1919. Vierde
Deel 1914 - 1917 p. 75; P. H. Ritter, De Donkere Poort. Een boek, behelzende tal van Persoonlijke Herinneringen
van vooraanstaande Mannen, Stemmingsbeelden, indrllkken, Beschollwingen, Belangrijke en Ollbelangrijke
Gebellrtenissen, Verhalen en Anecdoten over Nederland in dejaren 1914 -1918. [The dark gate. A book, containing
numerous personal remembrances of important men, opinions, impressions, contemplations, important and
unimportant events, stories and anecdotes about the Netherlands in the years 1914 - 1918] Volume 1. The Hague: D.
A. Daamen's Uitgeversmaatschappij, 1931. p. 284.
28 Dutch Minister in Brussels, M. W. R. van Vollenhoven, to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, 24 September 1914,
Smit (ed.), Bescheiden betrefJende de buitenlandsche politiek van Nederland 1848 - 1919. Derde Periode 1899-
1919. Vierde Dee11914 -1917 pp. 127 - 128.
29 Het Levell Gei7lllstreerd. 9,40,6 October 1914, in SMG/DC, [Miscellaneous copies of Het Levell Gei'llllstreerd.
1914 - 1919], 02121233, p. 1233.