My Van Zanten comic appears in the economic magazine ESB, which celebrates its 100th birthday this year. For the anniversary issue, I found this 1916 comic. My translation:
In the yellow banner: In our archive, we found this comic, dating from the end of 1916.
Title: Mr. Van Zanten predicts the year 1917.
1) In countries around us, the war is still raging. Our country should always offer a safe haven to war refugees. (Note: the Netherlands were a neutral country during World War I. An estimated one million belgian refugees were given shelter. With the debate about refugees we are having now, I am not sure if Van Zanten’s prediction will hold.)
2) The flooding disaster round the Zuiderzee has resulted in a plan for an ‘Afsluitdijk’. Let me be honest: our country is much too small for this kind of megaprojects. We will hear nothing about it ever again. (Note: Van Zanten was wrong. The ‘Afsluitdijk’ was in fact constructed between 1927 and 1932, turning the Zuiderzee – South Sea – into a lake, the IJsselmeer. After some big infrastructural projects have gone wrong in recent years – huge delays and massive budget overspendings – maybe Van Zanten’s prediction about megaprojects may be more true now than in 1916.)
3) Daylight saving time was introduced. An economy measure, so I predict it a golden future. (Note: Van Zanten was right.)
4) A publisher has started the magazine ESB. I wish it a bright future. Cheers!
Mijn Van Zanten-strips verschijnen in het economische blad ESB, dat dit jaar 100 jaar bestaat. Voor het jubileumnummer dook ik deze strip uit 1916 op uit het archief. Ik neem aan dat de voorspellingen van Van Zanten – of deze zijn uitgekomen en hun waarde voor de huidige tijd – geen toelichting behoeven voor Nederlandse lezers… Lees anders de toelichtingen in de Engelse tekst hierboven.