El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-06-04
WHY KAISER IS
AFTER HOLLAND
Would Give Him an Easy
Base for an Attack on
the British.

GQ6 bIlGlSu.
BY Fl. c. FERRABT.
Noted British naval writer, who gives
the naval view Of the German Am
bItion to hold Dutch ports.
London, Eng June Throughout
the war. Germany has brought pres
sure TO bear on Holland. Mostly her
object has been economic, but behind
it all there has been a naval aim.
For war purposes her own coast on
the North sea is i'll adapted Her
seizure OF the Belgian coast has not
benefited her much. and now Zee
brugge and Ostend viii be Of less use
10 her than ever.
She is compelled TO look elsewhere
for that expansion 10 the sea which
she knows to be necessary if her plans
for world dominion are 10 have the
slightest chance Of fruition- And her
eve naturally falls on Holland.
The Dutch have been well treated
by nature in the matter Of ports.
Flushing is a splendid harbOr avail
able at any season. time. or tide. Rail
ways run alongside the docks, and
there is every facility for emDarkins
troops.
Terneuzen can take ships up to IS
feet in drauEht and 459 feet long. an
aAAAAA alAAE size AlA A11EH trans l0A Is
Choice German Priest
Dordrecht and Melvoet Sluis, the
latter a base of the Ouch navy, are
two more sally ports, and further
north there is Rotterdam. with its %
miles OF quays, which can take ships
Of "a feet draught at all states Of the
Finally. behind the shelter OF the
Tristan Islands there are Helder and
Harrington I have not mentioned
Ymuiden. because IL suffers from
disadvantage that does not affect the
b0mbardment from the sea At the
same time it is wellfOuud port with
$50 acres Of water area and miles Of
jetties and quays.
IL is well that we should bear these
facts in mind, for they are never alb
sent from the calculations Of the Ger
man general staff
Close TO English Ports.
Possession Of those ports would
greatly facilitate the plans for an in
appreciated by studying the difternce
in the distances from the ports in
HeliEoland Blight TO the English coast
and from the Dutch ports
Hook 10 Harwich los
Rotterdam TO Harwich.
Flushing TO Harwich- .----.-....-13
Flushing TO Queenb0rOuEE--
Rotterdam 10 London.
Hamburg TO HarWich. ...-.-.....36
Emden TO London ----------...-.. 800
IT Is even more graphically shown
by comparison Of the time taken by
an ordinary steamer to do the jour
ney-
Hours
Hook TO HarWich- .....---.--..7
Flushing to Queenborough-
Flushing to FolkestOne- ---... 81
: mrrHsaH n
Easy for Expedition.
Any expedition starting from the
Dutch ports would have much
shorter sea passage than one from
the Blight ports. and that is OF vital
Importance in any attempt to raid
England.
Transports in convoy cannot move
at Oue-third the rate which a squad
ron OF fast battle cruisers can move
and IL is obvious that a fleet Of trans
ports which took 30 hours to reach
our shores would have 10 be at sea
during many hours OF daylight. and
would be liable TO detection. which
would defeat the whole object Of the
expedition.
A fleet that has been found can be
engaged. II was only because they
came under cover Of darkness. and
were not found until they had bonn
barded us, that enabled the Scarbor-
ouEh and LoWestoft raiders TO get
away
Quick Trip Possible.
ANY expedition could start from the
Dutch ports after dark and reach our
shores about dawn at any period Of the
year between September and April
The summer months are not suitable
TO that sort Of underta king. and any
way, the Germans have not vet OBJ
tanned possession OF the Dutch ports.
But they might be tempted TO use
the summer months in obtaining them
if they have the military strength 10
spare for the adventure
From certain points OF view they
nave every thing 10 gain by Overruu-
ming H0lland-for the moment we
may leave out Of consideration the
question whether we should allow
them 10 do so-and there is undoubt-
edly strong clique in the German
military party which is most anxious
10 enter upon the adventure. They
want third jumping off place for
the great raid IN which they believe
so strongly.
Could Go Three ways.
one expedition they would send out
through the Kattegat one would
come out from the Blight. and one
more from the Dutch ports. Plows
aimed at England from such different
points must they argue. throw our
defensive measures into confusion.
Certainly the addition Of a third
indicated sources Of danger would
mean a certain redistribution Of force
on our part, but it would not be such
as TO cause confusion. because our
naval plans are. as they have always
been. elastic
Men who have dealt with the sea
all their lives are accustomed TO
adapting themselves TO rapidly
changing emergencies.
Germany's clamor for freedom OF
the seas means really dominion Of
the seas by Germany, and towards
that dominion possession Of the mag
niflcent commercial ports of Holland
would be a great step.
May Plunge Holland In.
That is another reason why she
may be tempted TO plunge yet another
unfortunate little nation into hostili-
ties but Of itself. it would not be
enough TO determine her action at this
stage Of the war.
II Germany violates the neutrality
Of Holland 10 viii be for a more
urgent and immediate purpose than
Iuture commercial greatness. Il viii
be because she sees one last chance
through the Dutch ports of carrying
out the kaiser's elegantly expressed
wish TO crash the mailed fist OF
Germany right into the grinning face
Of the hypocrite England"
Cody Short OF Water;