The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-06
Holland Ready To Loose Sea In
Case of Invasion by Waring Armies
Blast Dykes
And Bridges
AS Defense
BY e. STUART FERGUSON
NEA Service Staff Correspondent

Bx y. STUAhI FEhUOooON
NEA Service Staff Correspondent
Amsterdam, Oct. 6.-When and If
the enemy comes, militantly neu-
trail Holland is ready with fire and
water.
The traditional thoroughness OF the
sturdy Hollanders and conviction
dating. from the Armistice in 1913
that peace had not come to stay
have given the land OF dykes and
tulips q military machine that would
do Justice to large nations.
And in time of war, their ancient
enemy, the Sea, would become their
most effective ally.
BY blasting dykes, bridges and
canals, Holland repeatedly could
flood great sections of the country
in 48 hours, effectively blocking the
mechanical forces of the enemy and
slowing down any sort of lightning"
invasion.
ROADS PLANTED WITH
ASPARAGUS" BEDS
In spite of the fact that defen-
eiye hundation of the land would
ruin much of the Netherlands for
generation, the Dutch are determin-
ed to let in the sea as the first step
If thew country in invaded.
Because much of Hollands de-
Tense plan is arranged to delay
"lightning" attack from reaching
flood control centers, Utrecht, base
of the Dutch military engineers and
reputed key point in the flooding
plan because it is canal center,
Is heavily protected.
Roads leading to Utrecht are pock-
marked with holes hiding anti-tan
barricades of sloping steel beams
that have been nick-named "aspara-
gus" This Asparagus sloping
slightly in the direction of expected
attack and projecting about four
feet above ground, is expected to be
highly effective in repelling tank as
saults.
BORDER DEFENSE
SEEMS LIGHT
Distance from the frontier seems
TO make little difference in extent OF
Notifications. Strategic points
though far inland, may be far more
heavily fortified than border po-
sitions.
For example, at Nijmegen, on the
Dutch German border, there were
great numbers of soldiers, but no
apparent war-like activity or de-
tense precautions. At the little
town of Kampen on the shores OF
the Zider Zee (now Lake Ipsel-
mecr, since the building of the o.
mile Great Dyke, the atmosphere
was definitely more martial.
The major part of Kampen lies on
the south or east bank of the river
isle, which is heavily guarded and
might conceivably, in time of war,
become a major line of defense.
Here it is expected, the Dutch army
would seek to hold the invaders
while the flooding strategy was car
ried out at key cities.
ZUIDER ZEE DYKE ~
is VITAL POINT
Dutch camouf1age in certain FORTH
fled sections is extremely effective
and it is difficult, even though one
has free access to the countryside,
to detect Notifications. However,
things are a little more obvious at
the great zuider Zee Dyke.
Thirty kilometerS long, this dyke
is the keystone of the entire Guider
Zee land reclamation. For this
dyke to be damaged and the North
Sea to be let in would be crush
ing blow to Holland.
And so, although the Dutch them
selves one day may have to pierce
the dyke, just now it is heavily
guarded and heavily fortified.
AS one rides along the dyke, and
approaches the first of two great
sideways, camouflager shouts ap-
pear, as though from nowhere. and
s.-el mounds emerge from grassy
hilocks. On the peninsulaS, stretch
ing along either side of the dyke,
arr concealed forts, almost hidden
beneath the surface. Barbed wire
and more asparagus" are every
where. Sheep Craze on grass cover
ed turrets, keeping the grass close
cropped around the gun ports.
Occasional searchlights and anti
aircraft guns lie hidden beneath the
crest of the dyke and sometimes
low-hying plane patrols the dam.
And so today, Holland is mobil-
ized-mobilized for peace and neu-
trality. Holland, with an up to the
minute arm of many thousands
wants peace passionately-but will
fight for that peace.
Antiues and "old masters" total
ing to 100000 in value are stolen
every year.