THE STORY THAT NEVER WAS
By a Dutch Correspondent
MODERN weedkillers work by overfeeding the weed until it dies. The same thing can happen to a newspaper story. The facts in the story of Queen Juliana and the faith-healer are simple enough. The, doctors had failed to restore the eyesight of Princess Marijke, who was born almost blind. The Queen turned to a faith-healer, who also failed but who remained in close touch with the Queen for many years. All these facts were known. They were known to a great many people in the Netherlands. They were known to Dutch editors and journal• ists, who never wrote about them for the good reason that Dutch newspapers do not interfere in anyone's private life-- not even in a Queen's. They were known to many foreign news' papers. Time, for example, had sat on the story for three years without publishing it, and Time is not exactly famous for its respect for the privacy of the individual.
It was the German Der Spiegel's privilege to break the story, Twenty-four hours before the elections it worked it up into `sensation,' the story of a State crisis. According to Der Spiegel, Miss Hofmans, the faith-healer, exerted so much influence over the Queen that a constitutional conflict between the Queen and the Government had arisen, and also a rift between the Queeil and Prince Bernhard. The evidence produced by the German paper was scanty indeed, and the scores of special correspon dents who descended forthwith on the Netherlands failed to find the story they were looking for. Meanwhile the MO editors decided not to treat the matter as a news story, and theY limited themselves to editorial comments in which they repo' diated the interference of the foreign press in the private !if° of the Royal Family. They agreed upon an embargo, which was broken only by the Communist De Waarheaid (obviously fat political reasons) on the day of the election. Special correspna' dents who did their best to get the reactions of the Dutch people noticed that they were reluctant to go into the matter at all, bta also that they were not pleased with the news that a faith-healet had for years been at court.
And so the story misfired. But foreign newspapers refused to admit defeat. Prince Bernhard was in Stockholm at the time and did not rush back home. Was not this proof of a rift? 1`, he had gone home the same papers would have said that his return was clear evidence of scandal and crisis. Even a ridieo: Ions abdication rumour had to be invented. The politica; leaders of Holland have put an ultimatum to the Quail' declared another invention. The special correspondents did net even take the trouble to inquire into the working of DutelAl parliamentary democracy. If they had they would have learnt that the Queen is bound to see, immediately after the elections' the Speakers of both Houses, the chairman of the State ConlvA cil, and the leaders of all parliamentary parties, in order to 611`; out whom she should ask to form a government. Then it wa pointed out that the Prime Minister had held a press confer' ence for the foreign press only, that everything was being with' held from the Dutch press; but the Prime Minister had alreaw, seen the Dutch press three times. When the story, which had never been one, collapsed, the special correspondents had but one more problem to solve' will Queen Juliana go to the airport and greet her hushaai with a kiss? It was tactfully explained to them that Print` t Bernhard had flown home more than thirty times in the Pa", three years without being greeted with a kiss, and that Queens who have flying husbands do not always go to the a port to greet them with public kisses. But the agitated journal] ists refused to accept normal facts, with the one exception the Manchester Guardian's special correspondent, who did °ll admirable job and upheld well and truly the best traditions of that newspaper.
it After two or three days the story withered away. At his press Conference the Prime Minister was asked by a foreign journalist whether they were wasting their time and should go home. `Yes,' said the Prime Minister. And so other stories turned up, itnd new headlines stretched across the front pages, and every- body was happy again.
Everybody? Queen Juliana? Princess Marijke?
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