D. Fock — Dirk Fock (1858-1941) — was a Dutch liberal politician who served as minister of Colonies (1908-1909) and, later, as governor-general of the Nederlandsch-Indische archipelago (1921-1926). His colonial ministry covered the “Wekeer” affair of October 1907 and the Van Heutsz report of June 1908; his conduct of the parliamentary response to both is the immediate political frame of the Van Daalen dismissal.
The “Wekeer” response
When, in October 1907, De Avondpost published the “Wekeer” articles exposing needless cruelties committed against the Atjehnese population under Van Daalen’s command, Fock — then minister of Colonies — advised the chambermembers “hun tijd niet te verspillen aan deze artikelen” — not to waste their time on these articles. The governor-general, he said, had full confidence in Van Daalen; both he and Van Daalen considered reinforcement of the troop strength in Atjeh unnecessary. The inspection tour that governor-general Van Heutsz undertook in December 1907 — at Fock’s request — was, however, to reverse both judgements.
On the Commissie tot onderzoek van de mindere welvaart
Fock’s dry verdict on the Commissie tot onderzoek van de mindere welvaart ([[1902)|commissie tot onderzoek van de mindere welvaart]] — the commission installed in 1902 whose report, when it finally appeared in 1914, filled no fewer than 33 volumes — was that “naar het meer dan volmaakte [was] gestreefd” — it had aspired to more than perfection. More modest, but at least as useful, in Fock’s judgement, were the economisch-historische bijdragen that the Ministerie van Koloniën published in 1904 under the editorship of Van Deventer, Fock himself and Kielstra.
On Lohman’s adat-law proposals
During the debate on the revision of the adat-law provisions for the indigenous population, Fock’s only support in the Tweede Kamer came from Van Deventer (v.d.) and De Waal Malefijt (a.r.). When the amendment of his party-colleague Van Idsinga — broadly containing what Lohman wanted — was moved, Fock took it over with the words: “aangezien de voorsteller (Van Idsinga) en ik (Fock) het amendement in dezelfde zin opvatten” — since the proposer and I construe the amendment in the same sense. Vermeulen drily notes that “Fock with this not-very-clear phrase covered his retreat”.
Fock and Snouck Hurgronje
Snouck Hurgronje was Fock’s advisor at the Ministerie van Koloniën. The adat-law disagreement between Lohman and Fock was, in Snouck’s judgement, “voornamelijk van formele aard” — mainly of a formal nature — since in either case everything would depend on practical implementation.
Significance
Fock’s colonial ministry is the political hinge of the post-1904 Atjehnese period. His initial defence of Van Daalen in October 1907 and his reluctant acquiescence in the inspection tour of December 1907 frame the fall of Van Daalen and the pacificatie course-correction of June 1908.
See Also
- Avondpost “Wekeer” articles (October 1907)
- Van Heutsz’s inspection tour of Atjeh (December 1907)
- Van Heutsz’s report on Atjeh (June 1908)
- G. C. E. van Daalen
- J. B. van Heutsz
- C. Snouck Hurgronje
- C. Th. van Deventer
- J. H. de Waal Malefijt
- Lohman (De Savornin Lohman)
- Van Idsinga
- Commissie tot onderzoek van de mindere welvaart (1902)
- 1907
- 1908
- 1914
Source
Schets eener parlementaire geschiedenis van Nederland van 1849 tot 1901, by Mr W. J. van Welderen baron Rengers, 4th rev. ed., Vol. IV: Oost-Indië 1891-1918 by Dr W. H. Vermeulen (‘s-Gravenhage: Martinus Nijhoff, 1955), pp. 273, 285, 326-327.