Norwich bulletin., 1915-04-21
Stories of the War
What Holland Has to Do.


 Holland is keeping in training ficient fleet not to be despised when taken in conjunction with her power full coast defences to be prepared for the eventuality of having to defend herself in case she is threatened from any side during the great European war.
 The nation to man is fully aware of the fact that its' armed forces may at any moment be called upto to strike a blow to maintain it's neutrality, and the statesman forming the government know that this necessity may arise with terrible suddenness.
 The Dutch land force, in times of peace almost insignificant in numbers as compared with the millions of men composing the continental armies Of the great powers, have since their mobilization at the beginning of the war been augmented by the calling up of reserves until they now total over 250,000 men. Altogether seventeen yearly classes of troops, averaging 1899 to 1915, inclusive, have been called to the colors. Seven of the classes, composed of the younger men, belong to the ~landweer and the other ten to the militia. Since August the men have been constantly exercised
  dition of preparedness and fitness such as never has been known in the Dutch army.
 The army as it at present is organ ized comprises first the field army of approximately 90,000 men; second the troops forming the city garrisons wherever they might be most required
 The field army, which would bear the burden of resisting any attack on Dutch territory. is not divided into army corps but is formed into four di- visions, each composed of forces of all arms-cavalry, infantry, artillery, en- gineers and transport-and these oc- eupy strategic points.
 The garrison troops occupy the lar ger cities and forts and would not be called on to take the field.
 The surplus army is distributed all over the country in training depots where the men are continually drilled in field work, diging trenches, erect ing wire entanglements, shooting and carrying out long route marches.
 Besides the resistance to an invader offered by the field army, Holland pos- sesses what is regarded as it's most valuable defensive asset in the shape of it's system of inundation, details of which are kept strictly secret. It is known, however, that tracts of terri tory can in a short time be covered with water to a considerable depth by the piercing of the dikes protect ing the low-lying country from en- ~croachment by the sea, for great part of Holland lies below the sea- level.
 Should the field army be defeated in it's encounters with an invader, it would retire behind the first line of water-defence after resisting long enough for the inundation to become effective. In the unlikely event of the enemy overcoming the difficulties of the flooded country in this first zone, the field army would retire behind the second water-Hne enclosing the larger cities, which it would then defend with the assistance of the landWeer and landstorm already there.
 Frederick the Great in discussing the invasion of Holland is recorded as having said: Tt is no use my attempt ing to march my six-foot soldiers into a country covered with seven feet of water" This difficulty still exists and makes it a stupendous undertak- ing for any army to attempt the con- quest of Holland from the land side.
 As to its naval defences, Holland makes no pretensions to be among the 1rst-ciass powers: The b1uejackets rank among the best in the world and they have the traditions of centuries behind them, but the vessels which they man are small and would have very little chance in an encounter with the heavy ships of the bigger nations. The most powerful of the Dutch vessels, DeZeven Provincian, displaces only 6.350 tons, and there are five knots. Some of them are fifteen years old. Coast defence ves- sells, protected cruisers, gunboat, des- troyers and torpedo boats, some of them modern, other old, make up the rest of the fleet, which, however, pos sesse very good guns. There are also half a dozen submarines built within the last few years, and a strong move ment has been started to accelerate the construction of large number of these craft.
 Coast defence in Holland is very powerful, many 32 centimeter guns being in position at all vital points, while extensive minefields protect the ports and river mouths and the coast Is well supplied with torpedo stations from which the projectile can be