New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-12
The Dutch Situation
o Lecn Plea Enough Allowance OF Coal and Iron The
Netherlands Secure Her Independence OF Germany

ry he stands for to the issue and all M,
wolves.
That issue is the Allied cause, and N. A.
lies are fighting for exactly the same cau,. :,
all neutrals would be fighting FOR should ,,.,
be drawn into the war. The Allies are fv,,
ing for Holland, Denmark, Sweden Norx,v
Switzerland's cause. Therefore they shouu
be in the war, and not "spongn2' on IA,
Allies when the cause is won. However. en-.
cums stances governing their word, their di,.
nity, their capacity are az present still in tss
way in most cases. These Circumstances "a,
be removed.
In the case Of Holland. the providing II
coal and iron by the Allies, the economic in.
dependence from Germany, the stopping 0,
food from Holland to Germany will drive d,
latter 20 the wall little more forcbly.
she decides 20 take the Holland gras, and
farmlands TO feed herself, and that is y,
exaSt form her assertion will take, Ho,a
will be suddenly invaded By means prepared
long ago. The country is honeycombed b.
spies, German and bought. No doubt vsJ
efficient means arc quite ready 70 preysa.
transportation OF troops on the Holland rail.
WAYS. This is the reason that the $4,000 to
100000 men under arms IN Holland since ii,
outbreak Of war are largely kept outside Of
the second line Of defences.
Hollands first move would have 10 be ~
official declaration Of danger % the country
in the actual presence OF all these suspects;
the second, strict censorship OF all mail and
kilograms to Germany. II this resulted in
war-and I suppose il would-a speedy con.
centration in the south could very seriously
threaten the German communications. Even
without the actual winning OF any battle, this
would so impair German resources in Elan.
ders that speedy evacuation OF u would BE-
necessary TO prevent a German disaster YES,
Of Antwerp. This would free Zeebrugg. and
the coal fields Of the Pas de Calais. But this
we could only do with the help OF Allied
artillery and aviation. For we have not been
able 10 buy these since the war began, and
are poorly equipped 70 make them and Ia.
efficient in organizing 10 do so. Thus, and
thus only, could Holland stake its preesron
little in this war Of great powers 70 &c, he
right of sharing the benefits OF the esu.
which will be decided by this war Thus only
could she escape the modification OF free
dom loving people, accepting charity for her
independence For she realizes that the only
danger lies in the East, the only salvation Of
her self-respect in the West, across the North
Sea and the Atlantic. With the loss Of ths.
self-respect life as a nation would no: be
worth living, and her history would come 70
an end, if not Immediately, then deseredly
soon.
The Gain to the Allies
The merits OF the above suggestions will
look different to the Allies than to Holland.
They will go back still further and say:
what does this suggestion in The Tribune
amount to-" II amounts 70 DETECTING coal
and iron from Italy and France 70 Holland
for the sake OF preparing ground for the
future. Italy and France are in sore need Of
these things. Is il worth while? The answer
Is subject 10 the next consideration i
amounts also 70 DETECTING some OF the heavy
artillery now constantly supplied on the
Western front TO the new Northwestern
front The question here seems 20 ne 70 Be
not Where have previous experiments Gal
lipoli, Rumania, SalonicaD along the lines lG
US TO ?" but where will this artillery DO u,
most effective work ," The answer 20 that :
indirect The successive German lines Of De-
fence across Belgium face southwest, where
the Allies know pretty well how much I
takes to work up to the next after taking on.
And artillery from the northwest would, geo
graphically speaking, enfade these very lines
and cross the lines OF communication,
This preparation will have to be early ard
slow; the German weeds are thick. Il will
take a tactful. talented hand, magnetic per-
sonality, 70 uproot the weeds among the
tight-sitting, stubborn, slow moving few that
have the say in Holland. The weeds are
strong. HOLLANDER.
New York, Sept. 10, 1917.