The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-08-05
Holland,s Danger.

Tree ana independent uhtlol mas beCuiic
exceedingly precarious 1t has never
been secure since the German army en-.
tered Belgium on the pretext, as stated
| by Chancellor Won Bethmann -Hollweg,
that it was necessary for Germany to
hack way through" The German
government has obviously made up its
mind that it shall have a way through
| Holland. For the sake of swift attack
| by short cut from Prussia to northern
France, solemn treaty was torn to
shreds and the national rights of Bel
rium were trodden into mire Of the
| blood of the people and the dust Of their
ruined cities. win there be any hesita
| ton to do as much for the sake of a
short cut from Rhenish Prussia and
| Westphalia to Antwerp Bruges and os-
| tend, when faster conveyance OF military
supplies is requisite and portion OF
Dutch territory stands in the wayf None
whatever, if passage be not yielded peace
| fully. And though a compromise has
| been made for the moment, there is no
| knowing how soon insistence on the full
German demands may precipitate san
culinary struggle.
| The Dutch province of LimbuTg, the
southeast extremity of the country, a
/ blunt wedge of curious shape, resembling
| somewhat a human neck and head, Is so
| interposed for 80 miles between the
Prussian frontier and the Mouse that
the traveller, say from Dalheim 70 Ant
werp, who does not cross the neck by
/ way of Roermond and Weert must 60
long way round--l50 miles, instead Of
s4. And why should be, asks Germany,
when there is a section of railway across
the narrowest part Of the provinces The
answer is that the territory is Dutch and
the railway section il Dutch; but terri
torial or property rights Of any kind are
never allowed TO interfere with the de-
sires or designs of the German govern
ment. And If the first section of the
railway is in Germany, the second in
Holland. and the third in Belgium, who
could persuade the Potsdam pirate that
he is not entitled to take the whole of
iii? Prior to the war there was through
traffic on the line, not very largely either
Dutch or Belgian, but mainly German,
the manufacturers in Westphalia yaluing
it as the shortest route to Belgium's
principal port.
Quite properly the Dutch government
stopped the through traffic at the begin
ming of che war, because the conveyance
over the province of supplies for bellig
erents would have been inconsistent with
neutrality. But this does not suit Ger
many now that the demand for NUM-
tions in Flanders is greater than ever
and must be more quickly met. During
the last two or three months The Hague
has been bullied by Berlin in every pos
sible way, and resort has been had to
stoppage of ordinary coal supplies and
intolerable interference with shipping in
order to compel the throwing open Of the
Dutch Limburg railway for the convent
ence of the German army. The demands
have included the right to forward troops
land war materials over the line to Ant
werp, the right to send foodstuffs for
transmission from that city, and the re-
newaI of agreement respecting imports Of
sand and gravel. This request for sand
and gravel has been pushed to ridicu-
lous extreme, with the excuse that i'm
mense quantities were needed for peace
full roadmaking in Belgium. The Dutch
government has yielded so far as to
promise certain amounts, provided the
materials shall not be used for military
purposes proyiso easily evaded-and
agree to transport Of food over the line,
only for the use Of the civil population
another stipulation that can hardly be
enforced. The latest news is that i'm
mense trainloads of lumber are being
carried, probably for trench building
and to this the Dutch government may
shut its eyes while it gains little
breathing time.
The allies must be ready for German
invasion of the Netherlands. This means
, especially that the British and American
fleets must be prepared to land strong
forces at Dutch ports, and that these
forces must quickly STREE the German
, flank on the Rhine such a blow as shall
. compel a considerable retreat from the
, Franco Belgian front. Where then will
| the Dutch beY In the fight, every man
! of them for the lion rampant Of the
/. Netherlands has never feared foe and
/ will not dream for one instant of sub.
3 hitting TO the Hohenzollern despotism
Though this fight is threatened, there be
e ing really no yillainy at which the kaiser
! viii hesitate, we are not at all sure that
: the execution of the threat is to be feared
| or deprecated That it would imperi
/, Dutch independence is not to be denied
) vet perhaps the chances are that the cross
g ing of the Rhine from the northwest, anc
{ the piercing of the industrial heart Of
$ Prussia by an allied American Dutcl
e army, would be fatal to the militarisn
: that has cursed the world. After all, thu
9 prospect is darker for Germany than tol
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