The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-29
THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE
or FLUSHING.

The new proposal OF the Ministry 70 tne
Parliament OF the Netherlands TO spend
aom. Sis.so.1o in coast dsfsnces has mss
the coolest reception among the Dutch pso-
pie themselves u has aroused great IN
dignation In France. II worries England.
~ has created something like a panic IN
Belgium why - Holland spending oil her
money on coast defence hen her German
frontier - so unguardeds Who - to benefit
hy tn. inyulnerahtlity Of her harbors'
These are the questions that are being
asked and every one who tries 10 answer
them digs up that story. now NOR" than
year old OF the letter thu the Kaiser wrote.
ur i said to hav. written, to Queen Will
helmina warning her In "a fatherly way
that her little kingdom must pat itself be
yond all risk of an invasion by England or
rl-s, he would he compelled 10 take military
possession Of It in case Of war lie had no
anne 4 alton aim " would be purely defen'
SiNs move
Whether the Kaiser ever wro," such a
letter or not Holland has been doing the
thing suggested apparently for the very
reason suggested. fielder. which guards
the entrance 80 the Iuyd-r Zee. has heeh
S,rrnV, hened with new forts u has been
r-arnsd and - garrison is augmented
Hook of Holland. the fortress which covers
Rotterdam. has a new fort nj great strength.
lImuiisn. the strong place nj the sea end
ri the amsterdam canal. has heen fortified
ano made the headquarters Of a hoiilla OF
,orp.,io boats The new proposal II TO
spend about sIo.So.r0 On more fortifca-
lions and 81 0S,.OOo tho fleet OF the
appropriation for Notifications n large pro-
portion ~ designed for the erection of great
works at Flushing a, the month Of the
SCh-ldt. works 20 strong A. 10 make entrance
into the river impossible to war-hips. And
there's the rub.
france and England have looked on with
comparative "0uanmity while Holland has
covered the Kai~er'- TANK against maritime
attack. proloneinR his own line OF defence.
which may bc Iaii TO extend from H"ltgo.
land In the northeast TO the island OF Borkum
a. the mouth of the Ems. overlapping
slightly the Dutch coast In fact both
countries affected to smile at The proceeding
"a a work OF supernrogation. both PRO
tr-' ed that never under any "irCum-'n noes
would they think OF violating the neutrality
Of Holland unless the Kaiser did 80 IN the
first place. Her territory vnS a. safe from
them unfortinrd rs fortified. they nverr"'i,
and she might much better use her funds
20 for'ifv her German frontier against a
v"rv likely danger than h"r coast against
a remote and see ondarv on"
, Rv' this nttitud" OF Indifferent" - aban
tonpd the very moment the tortifiCatIOn NJ
Flushing j. emhodl.'d m the programme.
and along with belgium. France and Eng
land take the alarm MI three SOC IN ~ "A
d-liherat. design uf the k6i."r'- 20 invade
eIgium IN cas-. of war Then the block ny
m of IN. River Scheld, is IN. mos crYrstiN"
way NJ preventing h.s lines from being
turned from The sea while he - turning tho
French Inc 81 hefenC" ~ avoiding the not
woT. Vi for rsssrs and The "on'"nt ration 81
troops along his own frontier and inv aiding
'hc country IN a rrln'iN ely unguar dcd region
through IN" belgian provinces oc Namur
and i.uxcnrhur:
Tn" phN lOu- counter move TO such a
demon ~rra'ion bv German army would
lie me landing of an English or perhaps an
English ard French expedition upon the
BANKS 81 he SCheld'. such body. oven
though numbering rot more than .r".u
men or ~. operating vIih Nn'v'rp a. a
base aud l."cr a. an U,pO-l. and reen
forced nv BrlEium's own army. would of
. ,our-" max" any operation tn the AOUth.
ward Impossible until ~ was totally beaten
threatening tho rOut" from the German
base a. El+.nborn for IN" whole a stance
20 the Rrigi"o : rrnch frontier. ~ would
IN fact compel an instantaneous German
r" rcat For II tho army invading Enlg 'um
should change - directive and attack the
10, ~ -ly British rSp"ditionsrv army he
tween ADtWcTp and II"Rc. obviously II
would expose its COMMUNICATION it, flank
and rear 10 attack by French force from
sedan or Lille or any intervening point
N Ntnv of these conditions the French
and English Tra'nGista 500 the Kaiser :
hand plainly IN III" proposal to 'orrify
Flushing They regard hi- invest eating
" "a 'an'amnunt 20 an admission ~ in'sn-
ton to- brush aside Belgium's guaranteed
neutrality and Use her territory 80 gain easy
entrance into France ~" has induced
Holland 10 guard hl- own territory from at
his policy i TO compel her 50 cover his nd
vanc. ~ we'll BY terrifying Flushing so
strongly as 10 bar ont relief from over the
-sa he ia rSt- his own trcaCherous advance
upon Frame. of any greater danger or din
cul'r than - represented ny the Belgian
army
IN. question NAV h." asked - neither Hnl-
land would use her fort ifcatlonS At Flush
ing IN ia" manner or for tho purpO=. feared
l. may h. argued thar IN case Of the invasion
~ Belgium by Germany she would not op-
pose III. entrance ~ French and British mon
81 war and troop ships INTO the Scheld'
But such an expectation - plainly fatuous
In the crisis " cannot he doubted that the
sam. influences hi"h have caused Tho forti-
iiCation 81 her coast would control her
ac'ion II she should haik ~ tho last mo.
r'.n' 'hsr" - littl" or nothing 10 proven,
IN" Kaiser from Ovnrrunning her territory
hu' holland : weak army and sy$,cm
~ Ines of inundhfion 81 doubtful efficiency
and Infinitely disastrous % Holland hers.s,f
lh"r" AZ" other sigma that the kal.er
has an eve on Belgium a means Of access
20 France the DEVELOPMENT Of the German
military railroad system along her borders
'he creation Of the great military. station
~ Elsenhorn. northwest of Johl.nt,, and
the plans OF mobilization which are known
To cover the lin" from Dh-sedorf to Tr.v ps
completely covering the Belgico- German
frontier A. for tho guarantee Of Belgian
neutrality. which dates hack to 1875. "
would prove hut frau obstacle II the
coming war should prove to be Of the
magnitude generally anticipated. since rhr
guaranteeing Pow .rs would all he on IN z ed
IN IL and about equally divided on the two
sides
The fertilization OF Flushing l. lik"lv 10
h-~omr an important question IN diplomacy
unless the Dutrh Parliament should refuse
20 b. made n CatspaN any further and shut
down on the whole scheme by Withholding