The newspapers are sound and practical before all things: business before pleasure is their motto; and native literature is not fostered.

Publishers who bring out new Dutch books usually do so on the old subscription plan.

But the book-shops testify to the popularity of translations from other nations and also of foreign books in the original.

The latest French and German fiction is always obtainable.

Among translations from the English in 1904 I noticed a considerable number of copies of the Sherlock Holmes tales and also of two or three of Miss Corelli's works.