The Dutch Parliament member Dresselhuys (1) defended his amendment against approving article 16 of Chapter VI (Navy) for 1924 dealing with a budget for a mine laying submarine.(2) Such a vessel was a complete unknown phenomenon in Dutch East Indies and nobody knew if it was needed for defending the Dutch East Indies. The minister of navy did not need to have a study budget of ƒ 1.000. According to Dresselhuys wanted the minister to force the House to approve the building of such a submarine without any restrictions. Parliament member Snoeck Henkemans (3.) thought that such a submarine was crucial. However the preparations would take quite what time and such a budget was in his opinion not immediately needed. He suggested in fact the minister to withdrew his request and asked in a later stadium again for the budget. If the minister however refused and would continue his preparations, was it uncertain if the amendment would not be approved by the House. The minister stated that this submarine was a result of the naval policy. Mine laying was of the means to defend the neutrality. Approval of the amendment did not mean the end of the Royal Netherlands Navy so –more or less forced- he let the House to decide. And with a majority was decided not to approve the needed budget.
Notes
1. Hendrik Coenraad Dresselhuys (31 December 1870 Culemborg, Netherlands-16 December 1926 The Hague, Netherlands) 1916-1926 member of the House of Representatives for the Vrijheidsbond (Free Liberal political party). He was active in organisations which wanted to solve problems in a peaceful manner, for example president of the Nederlandsche Anti-oorlogsraad [Dutch Anti war council] between 1914-1919.
2. On 4 November 1915 stranded the German minelayer submarine UC-8 off Terschelling, Netherlands. She was salvaged by the Dutch government and regarded the Dutch neutrality in the First World War interned, commissioned in the Dutch navy on 13 March 1917, after the war bought from Germany and sold on 26 April 1934 at Den Helder, Netherlands to be broken up. In 1920 asked the chief of the Dutch naval staff at The Hague the naval liaison officer at Berlin, Germany for more details dealing with German minelayer submarines regarded a possible project investigating the use of such submarines in Dutch territorial waters or in the Dutch East Indies. Despite the intention was the first newly built minelayer submarine not earlier realized as in 1936. The O 19 (first to be named K XIX) was laid down on 15 June 1936. The Kon. Mij. De Schelde at Vlissingen, Netherlands designed in 1929-1934 a minelayer submarine but which was never built.
3. Johan Reinhardt Snoeck Henkemans (21 May 1862 The Hague, Netherlands-24 May 1945 The Hague, Netherlands), between 1909-1935 member of the House of Representatives for the CHU (Christian political party Christelijk-Historische Unie). Since 24 January 1922 member of the Vlootcommissie (Fleet commission).
4. Evert Pieter Westerveld (21 August 1873 Haarlem, Netherlands-4 August 1964 IJsselstein, Netherlands), naval officer between 1897-1915, conservative liberal politician, minister of navy between 1922-1925, who defended without success the Vlootwet (Naval Law), which was disapproved by the House of Representatives on 26 October 1923 with 50 against 49 votes.
