Evening star., 1939-11-13
Fear Of Attack
|Unfou!nded, .
Dutch !! {: j Premier m
Nation Admonisked. |.
Not to Court PAIL
By Nervousness
By the Associated Press.

by Inc Associated Press.
: THE. HAGUE, The Netherlands,
Nov. f3.5=Premier Dirk Jan de Geer
told The Netherlands today there
is not ahngle ground for uneasi-
ness" in the nation, ier empire, de-
spite many rumors cauARg alarm"
in the past few days. 1aa
Making his first radio speech since
he became prime minister last sum-
mer, De Geer said the fear of immi-
nent danger for The Netherlands
was caused by REPORTS circulated
abroad and by 'certaih measures of
our government" ''s" -
He urged Holland not to court
danger by nervousness and thus risk
losing "the blessing which God has
given us-the vocation Of stimulate.
ing peace and ta1us serving others"
New Peace STEPS Foreshadowed. =.
1t was this vocation, De Geer de-
clared. which led Queen Wilhelmina
and King Leopold of Belgium to
make their peace mediation otter,
Should these endeavors. again
fall" he added, I'VE and the govern
ments OF other countries for which
peace Is preserved, will at later
date be able to take new steps In
the same direction"
The belligerent nations, he said,
have the darkest expectations
about the intentions of their enc
mics and think of their own safety.
Thus, De Greer said, they prepare
for the worst, suppose that the
worst already is at hand and "in
good faith easily believe that the
violation Of our neutrality is likely"
Therefore, I advise you to grid
yourself against this belief" he said,
and remember that neutrality also
requires a certain state of mind"
Measures "Misinterpreted."
De Geer said that Hollands own
defense measures had been smisin-
eerpreted and 1T would be a fatal
error on our part to conclude from
these measures that threats to our
frontiers had 1ncyeased.s =
He declared that recent Nether-
lands precautions for the strength
semns' ana ihtensifying of our m6bf-
llzation,'' :, vere necessary because
the tension On the western front
seemed to have increased =;
De Geer reviewed precautionary
measures taken BY Holland d,srtng
the World War and through other
periods Of intensified defense .neaS-
ures because of certain Temporary
conhttions,wnnH pAdl 3tG GhettsS1
lof onr ;preRared9esa tobMc cMQre
I'm oalh those esasess,thh outcome
was to preYe, that ,t{aeo opeetla S. sfeArs
were groundless. The present situa-
Nion mnEhe eortsId Sfed ia aht SAME
light.
Acute dasfser does not exist any
more now thalisit did in the first
days OF lepteul1s,,. when all our
defanqe fofs 3Fs mopilized."
frspsres ~ nm apment.
The 6tu ssat6 l(6laads mo-
btAxatldn sN44a preparat ID for Inv
F-VSNek eQAo DO So ~0eceNG
81 thosesEH1 t6hkto.tS1nect our 1i
t1ass d ao q I rents, trass
mobilization thl the1aaysK
tee they Aeeded." $50
Germany, Britain ana /. FTah6e
have pledged that they wunld y
spect the neutrality OF th6s sNEttNr-
lands and Belgium. =.
Mobilization must remain flexible
according to the tension on the from
tier, he stated.
That is the meaning which must
be given to our recent measures.
The government has no informa-
ton which can make it doubt the
pledged word of both sides. Also
the government trusts the sincerity
OF those words and this is one more
incentive to remain strictly neutral
and to maintain equal alertness
respecting both Sides"
Foreign Ministers Meet.
Collaboration of the Netherlands
and Belgium in efforts to mediate
the European conflict and at the
same time prepare for any other
eventuality was emphasized by an
urgent meeting near the border OF
their foreign ministers.
The first conference last night at
Breda, between Paul Henri Spaak
of Belgium and Eelco N. Vankleffens
of the Netherlands, came as a sur
prise at the end of a week marked
by a joint appeal for a negotiated
settlement of the war and extraor-
binary measures for defense of the
two lowland countries.
The exact purpose of the confer
ence was not disclosed, but since 1t
followed by few hours inconclu-
sive British and French replies to
the mediation proposal 1t was pre-
sumed, in part, to concern further
ance of the peace effort of Queen
Wilhelmina and King Leopold.
Authoritative quarters held that
the replies from King George VI
of Great Britain and President AL.
bert Lebrun of France-in effect
putting any further peace move ur
to Germany-could not be inter.
preted as complete reflections.