Schools are provided for all Europeans and natives. In 1913 there were 10 public interme diate schools and 5 private intermediate schools. In 1914 there were for Europeans 191 mixed public elementary schools and 22 for girls only (24 for Chinese only), with 34 private schools; the elementary schools for natives were 834 government schools and 494 private schools.
Entire liberty of worship is granted to the members of all religious denominations. Chris tianity is increasing among the natives. In Java and the outposts, in 1914, there were 600, 000 Christians.
In 1602 the Dutch created their East India Company. This company conquered successively the Dutch East Indies and ruled them during nearly two centuries. After the dissolution of the company in 1798 the Dutch possessions were governed by the mother-country. The superior administration and executive authority of Dutch India rests in the hands of a governor-general. He is assisted by a council of five members, partly of a legislative, partly of an advisory, character. The members of the council, how ever, have no share in the executive. The gov ernor-general and members of the council are nominated by the queen. The governor-general represents not only the executive power of gov ernment, but he has a right of passing laws and regulations for the administration of the colony, so far as this power is not reserved to the legislature of the mother-country. How
ever, he is bound to adhere to the constitutional principles on which the Dutch Indies are gov erned, and which are laid down in the 'Regula tions for the Government of Netherlands India,' passed by the king and States-General of the mother-country in 1854, and altered many times since. For administration purposes the various possessions are divided into residences, divisions, regencies, districts and dessas (villages), each governed by a resident governor of controleur, etc.
For defense there is a colonial army en, tirely separate from the home army. It con sists of about one-quarter Europeans to three quarters natives. Its strength in 1915 was 1,285 officers and 37,041 men, of whom 8,557 were Europeans. There is also a small colonial re serve of both Europeans and natives. There is a navy, maintained by the mother country, consisting of 27 vessels, with a complement of 237 officers and 2,059 European and 1,329 native non-commissioned officers and sailors. There is besides the colonial navy consisting of 22 small ships, with 167 Europeans and 766 natives, employed for civil service duties. The expendi ture for defense in 1915 amounted to $27,367,500.