The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-10
THE DUTCH HAVE NJ LOVE FOR GERMANY Germany Insisting on Forti- fication of Flushing ARE 2 SHIPS IN NAVY Tourists Hunting Relics Always Dis appointed in Berlin With Archi-
 lecture That Is Decidedly
 Up to Date
ARE 21 SHIPS IN NAVY

so Inucn pressure mas been eNefleu DY the German ambassador at The Hague that Queen Wihelmina's phlegmatic and peace-loving subjects have at last been forced to decide to spend nearly three million dollars on Notifications at the har- hor Of Flushing. There is considerable satisfaction at Wilhelmstrasse over this. though not much is said about it in the German press, partly because Germany does not want to hurt Dutch pride by nroclaiming the decision as victory for German diplomacy and partly because it mad been hoped that Holland would spend about twice the amount and make the forts up to date in every way.
 Germany first began to put pressure on Holland in 1903, and 1t will be remembered that a prominent member of the Dutch chamber who had previously been in charge of aI important diplomatic mis- sion, openly declared that the German Emperor had sent demand for the forti- ficat!on of Flushing to the Queen, couched in the terms of an ultimatum of threat ening character.
 A glance at the map shows the reason for Germanys insistence on the fortifica-
 
 mouth of the Scheldt, and the guns of a fcrt built there will be effective against fleet seeking to go up the river to Ant werp. The Germans fear that in the event of war between England and Ger many. British ships would convey troops up the river and land them in Belgium hence the anxiety to have strong defences at the mouth of the river. At the out break of war Flushing would be imme- diatey seized by Germany and the fort manned by Germans.
 In Belgium and France the surrender of the Dutch is greatly regretted, though there is no bitter feeling against Hol- land
 1t was understood months ago that the protest of Belgium, re-echoed so strong ly in France and England, had determined the Dutch government to abandon the idea of these dangerous two-edged Flush ing fortifications, and the belief Is that in bringing it forward agaiu it is yielding ly submitted to the Dutch parliament be- many. In any case the plan will not be official ly submitted othe Dutch parliament be- fore fresh protests arise in Belgium, not against the project of the Notifications themselves, which the Dutch are quite entitled to carry out without anypodys leave, but against the Dutch assumption Of the right to block the Schedt at their own will and discretion, despite the dan ger to which such action might expose Belgian territory, and the interests of French and British beligerents versus German forces. And diplomatic attempt will no doubt be called for by public opin- ion to secure from the Dutch government 1al Ia1t t1,of shall be only used for the purposes of Dutch self-defence and not to deprive Antwerp and the rest of Belgium of pos slble help from outside.
 According to private information, other means of persuasion than a mere friendly request will probably be resorted to, if Queen Wilhelmina's government remains deaf to the latter. The Dutch government have been for a long time anxious to in- duce Belgium to canaize the portion of the river Mouse which flows on her terri tory between the Netherlands and Liege because such canal an dthe low freights iates it would bring about would be the means of sending to Rotterdam the whole of the navigation traffic of East Belgium which now goes to benefit Antwerp. Ant Nerp strongly objects of course to this Dutch dream, unless it can obtain. as compensation, the cutting of canal-free from toll-connecting the Scheldt with the i'utCu anu irtIIlldn DIdnCneS or the Rhine. The whole matter is soon 10 be made the subject of a diplomatic conference be- tween the Netherlands and Belgium and then will be the latter's opportunity to raise the question Of the free navigation of the Scheldt in war time
 According to arrangements for the au- tumn and as a result of the new navy law, the German high sea fleet will consist of T ships of the line distributed into five divisions of four ships each and the fleet flagship in addition. The first and second divisions composed of vessels of the Hell soand and Nassau type, will have their headquarters at Wilhelmshaven. on the North sea, while the third and fourth di- visions, composed of the older Deutsch- land and Braunscllweig type, will take up Its station n the Baltic at Kiel
 The new fifth division is to be stationed q; W.lhelmsnaven, partly for the reason that the North sea would be the theatre oc wal in case of quarrel with England and partly because owing to their draught and measurements and new turbine Dreadnaughts Kaiser and Friedrich der Crosse" cannot pass through the still unenlarged Kaiser Wilhelm canal
 Reconnaissance duty will DC entrusted to TOUT large and eight small cruisers. in stead of as hitherto three large and six small cruisers. While these experts seem satisfied with the high sea fleet arrange ments as the first line of defence, they raise objection to the want of a suffi- oiency of reserve ships and of a fleet for foreign waters. At present the little cruiser Bremen represents Germany along the whole coast of the American conti- nent.
 Foreign tourists who come to the Kali ser's capital in search of antiquity are always disappointed. They find Berlin dlsgustingly rev. As matter of fact, the only thing about the place really ancient and old fashioned is the Prussian system of government. The reichstag runs it a close second. Architecture is frightfully up to date The town is torn to pieces aI- most rom month to month to make room for modern buildings. This week has wit 0Desed fresh example of Berlin's dis respect for the old. The celebrated sKranzler corner at the intersection of Unter. den Linden and Friedrichstrasse, enc of the city's most beloved landmarks. , is to be demolished. and in the place of the homely, gemuetlches old coffee house which has stood there since 1S06 a new ''cafe" is to rise amid all the garishness which characterizes latter-day local arch itecture.
 '.Kranzler's'' was for decades the re- treat of diplomatic, poitical-miltarv and social Berlin. Iron chancellors. world . eamed generals. dukes and princesses have slpped afternoon coffee at its unpreten- tious tables and nibbIed the delicious yiennese pastry which was it's great spe- cialty. It was the one Berlin coffee house with the atmosphere of the Paris pave