sfully.

The quadrennial elections of 1905 found all the liberal groups united in
a combined assault upon the Christian Coalition. A severe electoral
struggle ensued, with the result that 45 liberals and 7 socialists were
returned against 48 coalitionists. Dr Kuyper resigned; and a new
ministry, under the leadership of the moderate liberal, De Meester, took
its place. The De Meester government was however dependent upon the
socialist vote, and possessed no independent majority in either Chamber.
For the first time a ministry of agriculture, industry and trade was
created. Such an administration could only lead a precarious existence,
and in 1907 an adverse vote upon the military estimates led to its
resignation. Th. Heemskerk undertook the task of forming a new cabinet
from the anti-revolutionary and Catholic groups, and at the next general
election of 1909 he won a conclusive victory at the polls. This victory
was obtained by wholesale promises of social reforms, including old age
pensions and poor and sick relief. As so often happens, such a programme
could not be carried into effect without heavy expenditure; and the
means were not forthcoming. To meet the demand a bill was introduced
in August, 1911, by the finance minister, Dr Kolkmar, to increase
considerably the existing duties, and to extend largely the list of
dutiable imports. This bill led to a widespread agitation in the
country, and many petitions were presented against it, with the result
that it was withdrawn. A proposal made by this ministry in 1910 to spend
38,000,000 florins on the fortification of Flushing excited much adverse
criticism in the press of Belgium, England and France, on the ground
that it had been done at the suggestion of the German government, the
object being to prevent the British fleet from seizing Flushing in the
event of the outbreak of an Anglo-German war. The press agitation met,
however, with no countenance on the part of responsible statesmen in any
of the countries named; it led nevertheless to the abandonment of the
original proposal and the passing of a bill in 1912 for the improvement
of the defences of the Dutch sea-ports generally.

The election of 1913 reversed the verdict of 1909. Probably in no
country has the principle of the "swing of the pendulum" been so
systematically verified as it has in Holland in recent times. The
returns were in 1913: Church parties, 41; liberals of all groups, 39;
socialists, 15. The most