New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-08

II enriched herself as a port of
- "a entry for hungry Germany with
cut fear and trepidation. This little nation
Of disproportionate resources is armed to
the teeth, while she barriers between the
bellgerents for much Of the worlds food
surplus. She has as many men in arms as
if she were at war, and her navy bristles
with guns on decks cleared for action.
Thus armed, and thus enriched by
trade, she begs to be permitted to remain
neutral, not because of the profits of neu-
;rality alone, but also because of the perils
of being gobbled up by Germany or of
being punished by the Allies.
Acute crises affect Holland at intervals.
She is in fever Of excitement now over
the new British war zone regulations,
which are intended to tighten the blockade
against Germany through Holland, but
which Holland protests as a complete pro-
hibition of her North Sea trade.
England has tried to buy up Hollands
surplus food supply, but always the shrewd
Holland traders were able to find entrance
into Germany for food already sold to
France and England. Many crafty Dutch
men have grown enormously rich in the
war trade. The recent riots of women in
Amsterdam and dumping Of potatoes in
tended for England were in protest
against their own merchants rather than
against the Allies, for the Dutch food
spectators have almost sold the Holland
consumer out and prices are almost as
prohibitive as they are in Germany.
Coffee, sugar, cigars, cocoa, fish, butter,
eggs, beef, cheese and even wheat flowed
into Germany in unprecedented quantities.
The blockade frightened, but exports failed
to decrease proportionately. The govern
ment long ago introduced bread tickets
and regulated the quantity of various COM
modities to be used. There is a real short
age of other foods, but still the traders
continue to smuggle stuff into Germany.
An American embargo against Holland
is now advocated by England, and Holland
is fearful. Great Britain presented to the
United States figures showing that from
Scandinavia and Holland enough fat is
going into Germany to supply the whole
army. Most Of these exports are replaced
with imports from America, it is asserted,
and il is declared that this country,
through the power to order embargoes,
can prevent all shipments of fats into Ger
many. In particular, coal has enabled
Germany to exact from Scandinavia and
Holland food in return for this fuel, for
which they we're almost absolutely de-
pendent upon Germany.
The zone recently established in the
North Sea by the British government has
drawn protests from the Dutch govern
ment. which maintains that these regula-
tions render the passage Of all shipping to
and from Holland around the northern
coast of England completely impossible.
The other routes are included in the Ger
man danger zone.
Holland as a belligerent would be for
midable. Every invader has there met his
Waterloo. Not by flooding her low-lying
lands alone, as did the founders Of the
House Of Orange against the harsh Span
ish rulers, can Holland defend herself. She
is at home on the sea. Her colonizing in
stinct has been second only to that Of Eng
land and Spain and Rome, while her feet
mas traditions of victory at sea that make
her respected as a power quite beyond
the pygmy size Of her territory.