The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-04-24

GERMAN THREATS
ALARM HOLLAND
Fear That Press Campaign
Questioning Neutrality
ForeshadOws War
TEUTONS PREPARE r
TO HAVE PRETEXT
Feeling Newly Stirred Up Over Ship
Seizures-Charge Is Made That Dutch
Are Now Favoring the Enemies Of

Germany.
LONDON, April 24-The Daily |
Telegraph S correspondent at Rotter-
dam, in his despatch stating that a
plot is being Matched in Berlin to com
pei Holland to enter the war.
1.-THE Dutch government so far has
been able to maintain neutrality by
striking a balance between the conflict
ing interests of the encircling bellig-
erents, but this time the most skill
full diplomacy may not avail, as now IT
is not question which might be
settled by concessions or bargainings
Without going further, II may be re-
| allied that on at least two questions
the German government has taken an
altitude which would afford it an ex
euse, if occasion offered, of making fur
Their demands on the Dutch government.
| It has never given any sort of assent
to the policy of the latter i'll regard
either to the transport through the
Netherlands of sand and gravel or the
requisitioning Of Dutch ships at Brit
! iSh and American ports.
"The chief factor in the situation
is that in Germany at the present mo-
ment the extremists are daily growing
in power. There are still moderating
influences, but if these be defeated
nothing will stop the advocates of I'M
mitigated force from taking any steps
which they think might favor their
plans, even if these entailed the active
hostility of Holland.
"While the actual facts have not yet
been made public, the first move in the
game has already been played by Ber-
lin. This consisted of sundry articles
during the last few days in German
newspapers, carefully forwarded by
Berlin news agencies, purporting to be
inspired by anxiety over the posi-
bility of Holland being able to main
tain her neutrality.
''The first suggestion Of deep mo.
tive behind this press campaign is con
tanned in the Nieuwe Rotterdamsche
Conrant in an article headed German
Solicitude and Dutch Anxiety. The
paper, after defending the manner il
which the government has sought tC
maintain neutrality throughout Tho
war, says:
During the last few days the Ger
man press has shown especial Interest
in our neutrality This BENEVOLENT III
terest is superfous. 1t only awaken.
distrust and gives rise to the though
that something lies behind this Ger
man solicitude The German pres
would do better to reserve its inter
est for the internal affairs of the Ger
man Empire.
| - As a result of some initial sue
cesses on the battlefield, there is again
rising in Germany a, military curren
which is filing with anxiety the Who'll
world outside of Germany, and eSpe
! cially Holland. If this current con
tinucs to rise then the war will be pre-
longed for years aud will cost hun
drcds of thousands more lives. 1t woul
/ be better if III Germany they gave thei
/ attention to this and to the danger
L which can flow therefrom instead Q
making themselves anxious about us
ITO this the paper adds:
The danger of the moment is hiC
| den not here but in Berlin This col
/ clusion is perhaps somewhat alarmfn
| for our readers, but we can give i
| other
/ knowledge of the accustomed met,
/ DDS Of Germany in such affairs makes
| perfectly clear what purpose lies b
! hind these press manoeuvres. Berlin
/ carefully constructing a peg on whiC
y to hang the complaint that Hollal
. has departed from her neutralit
These schemers try to hide their re
purpose under a guise Of sympathy f
Id. the Dutch, constantly harping on t
ny theme of Entente pressure.
m 1.-The cloven hoof was first shoy
L. when in the renewed discussion of t
raj shipping question, a sudden rena
sance which in itself is ominous, tn