The Hague, Dec, 8, The national defence budget of the Netherlands for 1937 is to be four times as large as that of 1996, totalling 166,000,000 guilders as compared with 42,200,000 guilders last year.
Tu a message to the Second Chamber, the Government explains that 72,000,000 yuilders will be used to enlarge the defence facilities of the Netherlands East Indies and $3,900,000 forces.
The Netherland Government will shortly introduce in Parliament a bill proposing that the duration of the first training period in the navy be extended and that the number. of training periods be increased for all those eligible for military service, according to a memorandum sub: mitted by the Premier and Defence Minister, Dr. H. Collin, who, moreover, announced that the number of men' called fo the colours will be considerably increased in the near fulure, A' reinforcement of the Netherlands East Indies, however, is not considered necessary.—Trans-Ocean Kuo Min,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.