Omaha daily bee., 1916-11-03
HOLLAND NOW WARS
ON ANCIENT ENEMY
Peace Loving Dutch Going to
Annex Twelfth Province
From King Neptune.
BIG ENGINEERING PROBLEM

ttorrespondeHSe OF me Nssociaten ftessJ
The Hague, Netherlands, Oct S.
Peaceable, unaggressive Holland has
caught the annexation fever. 1t pro-
poses to annex twelfth province
from its old enemy the sea.
II proposes to entrust its clever
army OF photographic engineers with
the task OF bridling the waters OF the
Zuyder Zee. snatching 529,575 acres
of agricultural land from its embrace,
and converting the remaining 362, 500
acres into fresh water lake. For the
present, the scheme just embodied in
a government bill is restricted to the
reclamation of some l33,050 acres, and
is estimated to cost total sum of
S44.000,000, whereas the estimate for
the complete reclamation scheme is
S88,800,000. 1t is computed that even
the restricted scheme will require fif-
teen years.
The Plan.
In its main outlines the project,
which has been evolving ever since
the year lS4o, is simple one. The
Zuyder Zee is 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, widening out
into big circular basin. Across its
mouth lies string OF islands which,
before the great floods, once formed
the coast line and the limits OF the
seas domain. Some little distance in
side this line a massive dixie is to be
constructed in nine years time, from
shore to shore, right across the en-
trance to the blight. Starting few
miles below the well-known naval
base OF Den Helder on the coast OF
the province OF North Holland, il will
cross the narrow strait of the Amstel-
dep to the island OF Wieringen,
thence going straight through the sea
northeastwards to spot near Piaan,
on the Tristan coast The entire dixie,
including the intervening small island,
will be twenty-five miles in length,
as compared with the 200 miles OF
coast line that it supplants.
Out Of the lake thus formed it is
proposed to construct four separate
"polders" or drained basins, though
only the two smaller ones, the north
western and southwestern, located
above Amsterdam, are actually includ-
ed in the bill laid before Parliament
The later northeastern and southeast
ern polders will be situated on either
side Of the channel through which the
River Yssel will reach the newly
formed "Ysscl lake" and their rccla-
nation will probably take another fif,
teen years or so beyond the time stat,
ed. This island lake will also receive
the outflow of the other rivers and
waterways at present emptuing into
this portion of the Zuyder Zee. II
will form a basin so low that even
when the spring tide is beating against
the northern outer dixie, these inland
waters can flow into 1t and without
prejudice or danger. remain there for
i few days when II is not possible to
discharge Immediately through. sluices
into the sea.
Shipping Problem.
Among the various problems aris-
inK is provision for the needs OF ship
ping. A broad channel Of the lake will
still run up to the port Of Amsterdam,
and in order to preserve communica-
ton between the two severed parts 81
the Zuyder Zee locks are to be built
on the island OF Wieringen, while Z
canal running along the inner side oil
the Tristan sea dixie and issuing south
Of the enclosing barrier will meet the
needs OF shipping between Harrington
TcrschellinR and vlieiand and the en-.
closed part OF the Zuyder Zee. The
harbors falling within the latter area
will have to be deepened, while pro.
vision Is made for an indemnity OIL
$2.40O,O00 to the zuyder Zee fisher
men for the damage inflicted on their
interests by the conversion of thu
present open sea into fresh water
lake Of less than half the size.
VIII It payf
The great question Is: Can THU
great project be made remunerativs
onel In the opinion OF the govern
ment and its advisers, 1t can. To SCI
against the total expenditure for thu
whole scheme Of $4,000, 600, in tn,
first place there will be the enormous
benefits and saving of money which
3 It will mean to the entire water pro
lection and drainage systems Of thu
surrounding provinces. The coas
line to be defended from the inroad,
Of the sea will be shortened by som'
$50 miles, and in place of an arm o
the North Sea In the center OF tn,
country, with its sharply changing
water conditions, there will be fresi
water lake with much more settlet
water level. low enough for propei
draining of the surrounding region
Out of this lake. too, the province
OF Friesland and North Holland car
obtain a plentiful supply Of fresl
water, long-felt need
But beyond all this, there is tn,
resulting 486.026 acres of fertile land
here. where the waves now wash, will
appear smiling meadows with brows
ing cattle; and the financial field alon,
will probably be sufficient to cove
the entire cost of the scheme. OF TIL
two reclamation plans included IN TIL
present bill, the northwestern, o
Wieringen polder, consists of yer,
good clay ground. and the southwest
ern, or Hoorn polder, OF the very bes
clay soil, Moreover, these are TIL
most favorably situated for speed,
agricultural development, where, toe
there are good markets, and iron
whence the capital can be reached il
short time by good rail and water
About s2,soo,ooo Yearly.