Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-09-12
.BELG|UM'S CLAIM
ON DUTCH L|MBURG
After-the-War Situation in
North Europe Outlined by
Hollands Foreign Minister.
BY GORDON STILES.
BY Cable 70 The Star and the Chicago
Daily News. Copyright, 1olo.

THE HAGUE, Holland, September 3.
-Jonkheer van Karnebeek, minister
of foreign affairs for Holland, IN
formed me in an interview that Hoi-
land will agree to the construction OF
the two canals which Belgium de-
mands shall run through Dutch ter
ritory. and that Holland will meet the
Belgians half way in the matter OF
expense. These canals are to run one
from Antwerp to the lower waters oil
the Rhine and the other from antwerp
to the middle Rhine. He also said:
1.-THE Scheldt shall continue to be In
such a condition as to give entire sat
isfaction to the ever-increaslns wants
of navigation. We propose TO eNteho
the powers of the Scheldt commission
ers, who are appointed by both gov
ernments, in such way that the com
mission will have administrative
powers"
The desire of Belgium to add Dutch
IGmburg to her territory was ex-
raained to me today by Johnkheer van
Karnebeek in the only statement he
has given a newspaper in connection
with the Belgo-Holland negotiations.
lbs government ardently desired that
tie Dutch point of view should ne
thoroughly understood by the other
ppwers.
What Belgium wants. as van karne-
back sums it up, is that Dutch Linn
burg shall become a part of the ter
rnory of Belgium; that the River
Ssheldt, if not given to Belgium. shall,
az least, be internationalized. and that
Concessions shall be granted for the
construction through Dutch territory
Of two canals-one leading from Ant
vaerp to the lower Rhine. at Moer-
dick, and the other from Antwerp to
the middle Rhine, by way of the
Mouse. Belgium also insists on the
Widening of the Dutch Scheldt. Furth-
81 she desires that Holland shall en-
ter into a military alliance with Bel
Efum.
What It Would Mean to Holland.
swhen Holland and. Belgium were
SEPARATED in 1899, the minister ex-
planned. the boundaries were fixed &C
c9rding to historical rights and the
nationality of the population con-
cSrned. These boundaries were de-
termined with the approval OF the
gSeat powers, as well as the consent
OF the Belgian government The treaty
Of separation also contained a clause
ID the effect that neither country
tie territorial rights of it's neighbor.
What the granting of Belgium's
desires would mean to US is this"
said van Karnebeek. Holland would
lose her only coal-produclng region.
The River Mouse above Roermond
wpuld come under the sovereignty of
Belgium. The river traffic on the up
per Mouse, which formerly went to
rotterdam, would be diverted through
the middle Rhine-Meuse canal to Ant
werp. Nine thousand Dutch subjects
who desire to remain such, would
PISS under Belgian rule.
SWhy," he continued with a smile,
belgium wants to annex a part of
tie Dutch cabinet. Three of our cab
i4et ministers are residents of Linn
bnrg-the prime minister. minister Of
war and the minister of WATERWAYS.
U4der the proposed arrangement they
become Belgian subjects.
Gin opposing the internationaliza-
tDn of the Scheldt Holland takes the
g4ound that she is a delta country,
a1d that her maze of waterways is as
mach part of her national economic
lHe as the very soil itself To lose
hfr sovereignty over the Scheldt, the
Rhine or any other part of her river
system would be to receive a blow
which would threaten her very exist
etce as sovereign state"
Jonkheer van Karnebeek declared
t4at reports spread in England and
America to the effect that the Dutch
delegates had returned from Paris be-
Cause OF disagreement with their