Handbook of the Netherlands and overseas Territories

Economic section Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Published by Goverment Printing Office, hardcover, Illustrated with map
scheur in achterste uitvouwbare kaart

SOME WORDS OF INTRODUCTION.
This volume, rather against my intention, was in the contents. To be quite honest, I have not regretted this irregularity, as before making published first without the preface, announced arrangements for a wider distribution it offered me the occasion to watch whether this "Handbook" in the first instance would meet with fair sympathy or not. Now that it has been very kindly received I feel all the more justified to add to this volume a few words of introduction which can take the place of the preface.

The object of this "Handbook" was, and still is, to draw attention to our country by a printed text accompanied by illustrative maps, to improve the knowledge of Holland in a simple way and to offer a number of facts from which information can be easily gathered, when needed. A staff of contributors compiled Section A, entitled: "The territory in Europe", as well as Section C: "Surinam & Curaçao", whilst Section B: "The Netherlands East-Indies" was extracted from the well known volume "Handbook of the Netherlands East-Indies", published by the Dutch East-Indian Government, a book which has already seen its fourth edition. After having gone through the book the reader may therefore perhaps find the section dealing with the Netherlands East-Indies more one unit and better balanced than Section A. If so, this can only be a reason for my Division to see that a coming new edition of the "Handbook" shall even better answer its purpose.

The few discrepancies that may have remained unnoticed in the text certainly do not carry enough weight to justify making special mention of them. Of primary importance, however, it is, that the contents are fully up to date. Just one critical remark with regard to the ...............................