Conclusion

Abstract

We have now terminated our journey through the various sections of the task of the authorities in the Dutch East Indies, and we have, at the same time, passed in review a large part of the Dutch Colonial literature and East Indian legislation, with the regulations and ordinances concerning their execution. In each of the sections we could have lingered longer; while many territories have remained entirely unexplored. But this work did not set out to be a complete survey of so vast an area as is presented by the East Indies, an ambition that in any case was bound to be defeated. We may once more point to the Government Chronicle and Directory which appears every year, each time in a bigger volume, where the whole task of the authorities is reviewed in a manner that is at the same time comprehensive and easy to peruse ¹). In each chapter of our work we have aimed not so much at the completeness of the specialist as at indicating the main lines of Holland’s colonial policy. We have tried to show that these lines are taking the direction of the synthesis whose basis and guiding lines we indicated in our first volume. We should have gladly passed over a number of details and references to official publications, because this would have allowed these lines to stand out with greater clarity. At the same time, however, we had to take into consideration the reader’s need to have as much material as possible at his disposal, to enable him to form an opinion for himself.