Evening star., 1939-11-10
Consul 10 Urge
Americans 10
Leave Holland
u. S. Minister Advises
Businessmen to
Evucuute Families
Sy the Associated Press.

0S tHe ASSOCldteQ fTeSS.
AMSTERDAM, Nov. 1O.-The
United States consulate said tonight
1t would advise Americans tomorrow
that it was "a good time to get wives
and dispensable American members
OF their stats out of the country"
In doing so, the consulate said, it
would be passing on the advice
given by United States Minister
George A. Gordon at the Hague in
reply to inquiries by American busi-
nessmen there.
It was estimated there were about
1000 persons in the country with
some claim to United States citizen
ship
1t was understood the Legation
received information that the Bel
gian border would be closed in event
Of any German action against the
Netherlands.
The loWland countries took swift,
mysterious defense measures, mean
while, Netherlanders standing guard
on their ly-flooded water line"
OF, protection and Belgian soldiers
digging new trenches in the east.
A strange shooting incident on
the Netherlands side of the German
frontier near Venloo was followed
by withdrawal of all Netherlands
regular army leaves, placing of
guards round public buildings, in
undation of water defense areas
and stringent regulation of trans
portation.
Reports of the border incident
varied, one saying two persons were
killed, another that only one was
wounded. Both agreed several per-
sons had been carried into Germany
after the shooting.
Several Carried into Germany.
Witnesses at the Venloo customs
station said a German automobile
stopped at the border and that its
occupants walked into the Neither
lands and engaged in a gun battle
with occupants of a Netherlands
car. Several persons from the lat
ter machine then were carried into
Germany, they said.
Venloo is near the neck of the
Maastricht appendix" which loops
southwark between Germany and
Belgium. 1t is opposite the German
munitions center of Essen.
The government began flooding
low sections through the center Of
the country, including a wide strip
in Utrecht province and another
extending eastward between the
Mas and Waal Rivers. Residents
of water line" villages were re-
moved.
Ships Ordered Removed.
After a cabinet meeting which
lasted until early today, the high
command ordered the removal from
numerous martial law areas of all
ships undesirable for defense pur-
poses.
Ambulance units were ordered on
duty at The Hague, presumably as
an air raid precaution.
Buses have been requisitioned and
many trains taken out of service,
apparently to be prepared to remove
the population to areas west of the
food defenses.
The flooding process, which will
require some time, is an unusual
defensive measures to cut off AM
sterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague
and other industrial areas from the
east
Prepare for All Eventualities.
Although official explanations
were lacking, the moves by Belgium
and the Netherlands were inter-
preted as preparation for any even
Qualities In the European War.
Informed sources said the low
land countries still believed their
neutrality would be protected de-
spite rumors of greater German
activity on the western front.
The Albert Canal, in the North
OF Belgium, has been guarded by
blockhouses and mined bridges since
August. Belgian soldiers have taken
over all main roads from the border
as far back as Louvain. There
were no indications of extensive
flooding of the Belgian country
side, however.
When the European crisis became
acute last August American consular
officials in Holland, as in other Euro
pean countries, advised their ma
tionals to leave unless they had good
reasons for remaining.
The United State consulate had
said earlier that no fresh action
along this line was being taken. The
British consulate had made SINH
lar reply to inquiries.
Measures Go Forward