Wikipedia:Today's featured article/August 6, 2013

There was a Dutch proposal to build battleships in 1912, after years of concern over the expansion of the Imperial Japanese Navy and the withdrawal of allied British warships from the China Station. Only four coastal defense ships were planned, but naval experts and some politicians believed that dreadnoughts would provide a stronger defense for the Dutch East Indies. In August 1913, a Royal Commission recommended acquiring nine battleships to protect the colony from attack and help guarantee the country's neutrality in Europe. Five of these would be based in the Dutch East Indies, while the other four would operate out of the Netherlands. The proposal led to a debate over how to best protect the colony, and the question of how to share the cost of the ships was not settled until July 1914. After considering the recommendations, the Dutch Government decided to acquire four battleships, and sought parliamentary approval in August 1914. However, the proposal was withdrawn following the outbreak of the First World War that month. A new royal commission into Dutch defense needs held after the war did not recommend that battleships be procured and none were ever ordered.

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