Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-25

MO COUNTRY, perhaps had greater
IN desire, or greater reason, TO remain
aloof from the European war than Hol-
land. AS with all neutral nations, the
unceasing aim Of the Dutch was 20
present a kindly impartial face 70 every
Delligerent 1t was carefully calcu-
lated policy. which included checks not
alone upon deliberate departure from
tenets of strict neutrality but upon in
advertent acts which might irritate one
or more OF the Governments embroiled
In the conflict. Yet Hollands position
was delicate to a degree not appreciated
by those who have not studied the
politics OF the situation; factors and
conditions which, perhaps, did not exist
in the case of any other European coun-
try, might combine at any time TO over
throw the plans Of those who are steer
.nf the Dutch ship through the devious
CLannels Of Continental diplomacy.
How well. in this event, Holland could
protect herself against infringement OF
her neutrality was matter OF opinion.
Some believed she could defend 1t no
more successfully than her nsighbor
Belgium did while, on the other hand,
( there are assertions of those familiar
with their subject that Holland could
provide more trouble for an armed in
wander than would be accpetabie either
I 70 Germany or the allied nations at this
. time
Has No Big Forts
There is no thought that frontier fort
| resses could hold an enemy at bay for
more than a few days at most. Holland
has no forts OF the strength OF Liege,
Namur IIuy, or Dinant The Dutch,
/ facing superior numbers. must inevitably
retreat from the frontier and railway
centers. and fall back upon Amsterdam
and territory beyond the famous water
line, whereupon Hollands chief ally
would be invoked--inundation Water
not common. rifles, nen---is She real de-
fender Of this little Kingdom. 1t is quite
| possible that it would be absolutely
potent; certainly Il seems improbable
! that a large portion of the country
should fall into alien possession IL the
I Dutch were driven to the desperate eXpe-
/ dent of letting in the sea.
| Draw line through Groningen,
! Utrecht and Antwerp;' all OF Holland
! lying west Of that line, or 3s per cent of
/ the country, would be submerged If prop
| er openings were made in the seaward
! barrier of dilles and dunes. Thus lIoi-
/ land largely depends upon it's depression
! below the sea for defense. An invasion
/ would surely be met by inundation,
( which, it Is believed, would render a
/ large section OF the country as inaccessi-
/ bic to any foe now as In 1872. when
/ Prince William OF Orange induced his
| countrymen TO let in the food and thus
! set a. naught the plans Of the army of
/ Louis XIV.
Nation Below Sea
As matter Of fact the greater part
( OF Holland would not exist were 1t not
for the constant eXertions of her people.
/ Nearly the entire country Is on q level
/ with. or even below the sea. In the
vicinity Of Rotterdam there are districts
I which are from six TO forty feet below
the level The business part Of Rot
terdam, situated beyond the dilles, Is
| Hooded almost regularly every winter
for some days. III all the country there
is only one spot rising above 500 feet,
and only two provinces are considered
TO be wholly safeguarded by nature from
| inundation. Visitors Nenturing outside
the beaten track OF Baedeksr travel will
no doubt recall the curious experience
of walking in some byway and seeing
the shipping traffic proceeding at level
of from twelve 10 twenty feet over their
heads.
That the Dutch have faced the pos
Stbilty of invasion and have made prep
arations TO resort to inundation in tha,
event Is the testimony OF a recent Visi-
tor TO Holland. whose views are SET
Field. lie agrees with other authorities
that Holland would not attempt pro-
longed resistance in positions which do
not Ofter natural advantages to the de-
fense. This would mean that all OF
Holland east of line running between
Maarden, on the south coast Of the
Zuyder Zee, through Utrecht and Cor
kum TO GertuidenBerg, in North Bra
banr, would be abandoned This marks
tract or country selected TO be given ND
to the foods in event OF necessity.
Roughly speaking. this line is seventy
miles long and from seven. 10 eight
miles wide. Well-kuowu towns, such as
Groningen and Arnhem. are in the line
OF water and would be abandoned 10 the
floods.
viii Restrict Flooding
The flooding, while vast in its influ-
ence, would be carefully restricted az 10
area, fact which renders this means of
defense far from the simple expedient
that one might think. The inundation
would be regulated by system Of spe-
clally built sluices and dikes
The object says the writer in the
Field. "is TO obtain a uniform depth of
eighteen inches. But tho country be-
tween the Zuyder Zee and the estuary
which the visitor to Holland, via Flush
ing, will remember crossing just before
he came 10 Dordrecht Cor Dort), by a
Ntaducr about a mile wide, lies at all
sorts Of levels. So the flooding must be
done in well-p AIMED sections What
makes the inundatiou effective is that II
is not at all a case of opposing n big
flooded meadow TO the advance Of an
army. All the land in Holland-at any
rate, in the part with which we are
concerned at presents full of dltches
little canals. bigger cana,s and large
canals. Obviously. then. it is impossible
to wade through foot and a half of
water covering such country, for at
any moment the wader may drop down
up 10 the neck or over head And
eighteen inches is also an impossible
depth for navigation Of the sort which
is OF service to troops which desire to