THE HIGH SEAS: Flying Dutchman

All that is left of the once rich East Indies empire of the Dutch is the far-from-wealthy colony of West New Guinea. Indonesia, which inherited all the rest of the empire, covets New Guinea too. Enraged by Indonesia's noisy propaganda threats, The Netherlands last June sent off to Asian waters the aircraft carrier

Karel Doorman, along with two destroyers and an oil tanker. The intention: that ancient and largely harmless naval exercise known as showing the flag.

But in these post-colonial days, showing the flag can be hazardous. Hardly had the Doorman left Rotterdam when the Russians accused the Dutch of...