New York, Mar, 19.
Mr. E. N. van Kleffens. Foreign Minister of the Dutch Government, and his wife arrived by clipper today from Lisbon en route to the Netherlands East Indies "to talk things over with the Governor-General there.
Mr. van Kleffens said the Government did not expect Japan to invade the Dutch islands in the Pacific.
"We have bad three and a halt centuries of peace....and I see no signs to give me any reason for concern."
Asked whether the Government had asked other powers for protection for the Indies, Mr. van Kleffens declared, "We accept protection from nobody. However, if we are attacked. then I believe our interests are British interests and your (United States) interests would parallel them."
Colonel William J. Donovan also returned on the same plane after a three-months' tour of the war zones as a special observer for Col, Frank Knox, Secretary of the Navy.
Mr. Van Kleffens was due to pay courtesy calls on President Roosevelt and Mr. Cordell Hull Secretary of State.
The Dutch Minister said Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands was in excellent health and was a "real inspiration to everyone."
Dictators throughout history have played a losing game against the Dutch, Mr. Van Kleffens said.
"Ask Philip IL Louis XIV and Napoleon." he said, "and in a year or so you may ask Hitler."—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.