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18-05-1940 The Tampa Daily Times, Saturday

To Heart of Former Dutch Consul Here
Imprinted bitterly and indelibly on the heart and mind of Jean R. van Julsingha Blinck – former Dutch consul to Tampa for 20
years – is the situation in which bis beloved Netherlands is now involved.
Yesterday would have ordinarily called for a celebration by him, because it was just 13 years ago that he returned to Holland for a
visit to Groningen, the city in which he was born.
Instead of being able to recall the pleasure of his visit at that time, he was forced yesterday to scan the headlines and to keep his radio dial turned to news broadcasts of the conflict. 

Reside In Native City.
For Mr. Blinck’s sister and two of his nephews reside in his native city and he has heard no word from them for four weeks. 

“All talk of war is forbidden”, his sister wrote at the time, “but we are fearful that Germany will invade our country. 

We are not in need of anything … we are able to buy at the stores as usual … but we are in continual fear.” 

Uniforms, Mr. Blinck was informed, had arrived at the house for his nephews, a medical doctor and a dentist who are of “gun target age”.
But he has not heard whether they were called to shoulder arms for their country.
Understands Surrender
Holland’s short-lived resistance of Germany was understandable to Mr. Bkinck who believes that The Netherland’s leader acted wisely in submitting almost immediately.
“The Germans would have destroyed the whole country if Holland had acted otherwise”, he said.
“I feel very distressed about it … sometimes I can’t sleep nights for worrying about what may have happened to my relatives there”, he slowly added.
On the wall of the 85-year-old Dutchman’s tiny Cass St. office is a poster-size portrait of Queen Wilhelmina, garbed in evening dress and royal tiara.
“That was presented to me when I was in her service”, he said, referring to the period during which he served as consul … to the time when he reprensented a country which had no conception of the distressing events marked on the calender for it.

[Blijkbaar was Jan vergeten dat hij ook in 1930 met verlof in Nederland geweest is?]

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