The "Land & Water" edition of Raemaekers' cartoons, volume 1

A certain number of Raemaekers’ cartoons concern the politics and the people of his own country in such a way that comment on them by one who is not fully conversant with the situation in Holland is an impertinence, but in this case the artist’s satire is patent to all. The contempt of the Queen at this bald rendering of Germany’s many veiled offers is fully apparent; every line of the figure is expressive of disdain, and the figure in the background appeals without result.

It is that figure in the background which has most interest, however; it is yet another expression of the truth that these cartoons have made so vividly evident, that Germany will stop short of nothing to gain her ends. This envoy is the German as we knew him before the war, deferent, somewhat waiter-ish, and at the same time suggestive of the German commercial traveller—the very worst kind of commercial traveller, for whom the word “business” covers such underhand dealings as accompanied the furtherance of German plans in all countries—a spy in disguise.

He says, in effect—“Yours is a very little country; in the day of our world-dominance it will be well that you should have our protection.” He wants the mouths of the Scheldt, and all that furtherance of German naval plans which dominance over Holland would give, and he offers all that Germany is prepared to offer to any ally or potential ally.

But the Queen has turned away.

E. CHARLES VIVIAN