The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-10-18
HOLLAND BELIEVES
IN EXPANSION, To.
TAKE LAND FROM SEA

The Hague, Netherlands, Oct. II.
-(Correspondence of The Associated
Press)-Peaceable, unaggressive Hol-
land, has caught the annexation fever
1t proposes to annex a twelfth pro-
vince from its old enemy the sea.
1t proposes to entrust its clever
army of photographic engineers with
the task of bridling the waters of
the Zuyder Zee, snatching 529 ,575I
acres of agricultural land from its
embrace, and converting the remain
ing 1862, 800 acres into a freshwater
lake. For the present, the scheme
just embodied in government bill
is restricted to the reclamation of
some 133,050 acres, and is estimated
to cost total sum of $4,000 900,
whereas the estimate for the COM
plete reclamation scheme is $780,
900. 1t is completed that even the
restricted scheme will require fifteen
years.
In its main outlines the project,
which has been evolving ever since
the year 1849, is simple one. The
Zuyder Zee is a large, shallow arm
of the North Sea that breaks into the
northern part of the Netherlands in
a southeasterly direction and laps
the shores of five provinces, widen
ing out into big circular basin.
Across its mouth lies a string of is
lands which, before the great floods,
once formed the coastline and the
limits of the seas domain. Some
little distance inside this line a mass
i've dixie is to be constructed in nine
years time, from shore to shore right
across the entrance to the right.
Starting a few miles below the we'll
known naval base of Den Helder, on
the coast of the province of North
Holland, it viii cross the narrow
strait of the Amsteldiep to the island
of Wieringen, thence going straight
through the sea northeastwards to a
spot near Piaam, on the Tristan coast
The entire dixie, including the inter
vening small island, will be % miles
in length, as compared with the 200
miles of coastline that it supplants.
Out of the lake thus formed, it is
proposed to construct four separate
stpolders'' or drained basins, THOUGH
only the two smaller ones, the nor
western and southwestern, located
above Amsterdam, are actually in
/ cluded in the bill laid before parlia-
ment. The later northeastern and
southeastern polders will be situa-
ted on either side of the channel
through which the River Yssel will
reach the newly-formed feYssel Lake
and their reclamation will probably
take another Is years or so beyond
the time stated This island lake
will also receive the outflow of the
other rivers and waterways at pres
ent emptying into this portion of the
Zuyder Zee. 1t will form basin sc
low that even when the spring tide
is beating against the northern outer
dixie, these inland waters can flow
into it and without prejudice or dan
ger. remain there for few days
when it is not possible to discharge
:. immediately through sluices into the
sea.
Among the various problems aris
ing is provision for the needs OF ship
ping. A broad channel of the lake
will still run up to the port OF Ans
terday, and in order to preserve com
munication between the two severed
parts of the Zuyder Zee locks are Il
he built on the island of Wieringen
} while a canal running along the innel
side of the Tristan sea dixie and Is
suing south of the enclosing barriel
will meet the needs of shipping be
tween Harrington, Terscheiling ant
Vlieland and the enclosed part OF TIT
Zuyder Zee. The harbors falling
within the latter area will have to b
deepened, while provision issmade TO
an indemnity of s2,400,o00 to tn
, Zuyder Zee fishermen for the dam
: age inflicted on their interests by tn
conversion of the present open Sc;
5 into a fresh water lake of less thar
half the size.